WESTFIELD — Everywhere Joules goes she’s greeted with nuzzles, snuggles, and cuddles because that’s the only job the Police Department’s first comfort dog has.
“She puts smiles on people’s faces,” said Police Detective Christopher Coach at Westfield Intermediate School to the sixth-grade classes of Amy Haramut and Ethan Dallas.
And the students were all smiles, oohing and aahing, and petting, and snuggling Joules while she lapped it up with her fat tail wagging away.
Joules was purchased with a generous donation by WG&E/Whip City Fiber.
While the department is familiar with K9s that track, sniff out drugs, and provide a deterrence when its handler needs help, Joules, an English Labrador with an unusual charcoal gray coat, spends her days bringing smiles to children at the city’s schools, interacting with the elderly at various assistant living facilities, providing a calming presence in stressful environments, and help people with anxiety, trauma, loneliness, or illness by providing a gentle, non-judgmental distraction, and to encourage social interaction.
There is a reason why Joules is perfectly suited to the role.
English Labradors are known for their stockier build – even at 15 weeks old it’s evident Joules is going to be huge – a blockier head, and a calm demeanor.
“She is relaxed, very chill,” Coach said as the students gathered around her in each class.
She’s different from other labradors that are bred primarily for hunting and field work; English Labradors are bred as family companions to be relaxed and patient, which Joules clearly was with the students.
Because of her gentle nature, four people in the city have already gotten their own, Coach said.
As her handler, Coach always has her with him, including when he’s at home.
Coach thanked Westfield Gas & Electric and Whip City Fiber, for making it possible for the department to get its first comfort dog.
“Tom Flaherty (general manager of WG&E and Whip City Fiber) was really excited for this opportunity to support our community and the police department. This is a valuable way to bring comfort and joy to our neighbors in Westfield,” said Lisa Stowe, who handles marketing and communication for both companies.
“In addition to bringing comfort and joy, she’s a great ‘spokespuppy’ for Whip City Fiber,” Stowe said.
When planning for the department’s comfort dog, it was preparing for a male.
So, during the PumpkinFest a contest was held by Whip City Fiber to choose the new dog’s name.
Watt came out on top, but circumstances changed, and so did her name, which is a standard unit of energy representing the energy transferred when a force of one newton moves an object one meter.
