Funny,DogsAPR 16, 2020

This Is Brody, The Bristol Police Therapy Dog Who Dozed Off On His Own Swearing-In Ceremony

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Ever heard of the term Monday blues? You know, that crummy feeling you have on a Monday, right after an awesome, activity-filled weekend? Well, apparently, humans aren’t the only ones to experience this!

Meet Brody, a 3-month old chocolate labrador retriever puppy who has recently become Bristol Police Department’s new K-9 comfort dog. He had a whole swearing-in ceremony and everything! Unfortunately, this event happened on an early Monday morning, so you can guess how it all went.

Last Monday, April 6th, early in the morning, Bristol, Rhode Island Police Department held a swearing-in ceremony to initiate Brody, their new K-9 comfort dog, into the force. The event was live-streamed on Facebook and included the ceremony itself, a thank-you speech by Officer Medeiros, Brody’s on-duty partner, and a short Q&A session.

Unfortunately, Monday blues hit the little guy pretty hard as he slept through the entire ceremony. Yes, the ceremony that was devoted entirely to officially recognizing Brody as a K-9 unit was spent dozing. Heavily.

Even dogs agree that certain ceremonies can be snooze fests at times, especially on Mondays

Image credits: bpdk9brody

And it was adorable beyond belief. Not only did people find it super cute how far Brody actually was in slumberland, but midway through the video, he assumed a more comfy position on the table, eliciting a couple of chuckles around the room as well as among the viewers in the chat.

Bored Panda got in touch with Officer Keith Medeiros, K9 Brody’s police partner, who talked to us about Brody and the inspiration behind this idea:

“I was inspired by our department's Chief of Police Kevin Lynch who wanted to implement a K9 unit into our department. I began to research patrol K9s, such as bomb and narcotic detection, and came across some information on Facebook, in the New England Police Comfort Dogs group. I was immediately drawn to this type of therapy and comfort dog program.”

He continued: “I then made contact with Peggi and David Brogan who own Boonefield Labradors in Rindge, New Hampshire, and who generously donates Labradors to police departments that want to start this type of program. After many weeks of research and making contacts from across New England, I put a proposal together and presented it to Chief Lynch, who has supported me and this program from the start.”

Brody the Bristol PD K9 therapy dog slept through his own swearing-in ceremony, even in his partner's arms

Image credits: bpdk9brody

Image credits: bpdk9brody

Oh, and if you’re wondering about the little puppy's name⁠—fun fact⁠—he was named for Bristol (B) and Rhode Island (Rhody). Mash it together and it’s Brody.

Medeiros is a school resource officer responsible for all of the schools in Bristol. He sees great opportunities for Brody, who will now serve to help young people as a K-9 therapy dog. There are also plans to bring Brody to senior centers, veteran’s homes, the local university, and community events.

“Unfortunately, with what’s going on in the world today with COVID-19, we are unable to get as many interactions with the community as we would like. A typical day for Brody at this time is playing a lot and obviously sleeping a lot.”

He continues: “During the week, he is usually making security checks of the five schools in our town 2-3 times a day and getting used to the police station and all the sworn and civilian members. He gets as many interactions as it's possible while practicing social distancing. When COVID-19 is under control, he will be with me in our local high school on a daily basis as well as the elementary schools in our district.”

The ceremony was live-streamed on Facebook by the Bristol Police Department and that's where it went viral

Image credits: bpdk9brody

At this age, it is a must that Brody is exposed to as many people as possible, but given the current COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown restrictions, it has become a bit of a challenge. However, he does get to interact with Medeiros’ family, colleagues, and neighbors.

“At this time bringing Brody on as a sworn police officer has been all positive,” explained Officer Medeiros. “The most challenging part right now is trying to manage COVID-19 and still get him the appropriate training he needs for his job. We are managing well, but it is challenging.”

In fact, Officer Medeiros said that despite the lockdown, now is actually the best time for Brody to be on duty. He explained that a lot of people are stressed during this time, especially those working in law enforcement. But whenever he walks into the police department together with Brody, he notices how the other officers start smiling, want to pet, hug, and play with him—they get into a better place.

Image credits: bpdk9brody

Brody is expected to start formal K-9 training in a month. In addition to this, they will also be making monthly trips back to Brody’s birthplace, Boonefield Labradors in New Hampshire. In a year’s time, if all goes well and Brody passes his exams, he will become a certified comfort and therapy dog.

The internet absolutely loved the swearing-in ceremony, the video of which soon went viral online. The live-stream hosted on Bristol Rhode Island Police Department’s Facebook page has already received over 250,000 views since its posting.

Lastly, we asked Officer Medeiros the question everyone wants to know the answer to: Brody's favorite toys and snacks? He had this to say: “Brody’s favorite toy is what ever his big brother Ziggy is playing with—I have a 6-year-old black English Labrador who loves to play with Brody. As for Brody’s favorite snack, it’s his training treats! He’s very much food motivated!”