It’s official — the newest member of the Sag Harbor Village Police Department is an adorable yellow Lab named Gillies.
It was standing room only on Tuesday for the swearing-in of the pup, who is a police therapy dog charged with providing therapy for everyone he comes into contact with — police and public alike.
Gillies was donated by the Suffolk County Police Foundation and the Matt Martin Foundation, a group that funds the raising and training of service animals.
Whether he is helping officers “carry emotional weight,” Police Chief Robert Drake said, or just “bringing a smile to someone having a difficult day,” Gillies is up to the task. Certainly, it was smiles all around in the meeting room that afternoon.
Mayor Tom Gardella said the therapy dog may help “bridge a little bit of the gap” between police and the community. People may be more likely to approach police with the dog, he said, and Gillies could perhaps help put them at ease in “situations where tensions are high.”
Daniel N. Geffen, the rabbi at Temple Adas Israel and the police chaplain, told the crowd that police work “needs love and compassion,” that while lives weren’t always necessarily on the line, even a “tough day on Main Street” takes up emotional space.
Many members of the department, from the chief to the traffic control officers, were in attendance when Gillies was presented with his badge. Several other police therapy dogs, including Hamilton, a black Lab who works in Southampton, were also there in support of their fellow canine.
And police officials from all over the East End were there, along with some excited village residents and their children. Gillies has already met some of the local students, Deputy Mayor Ed Haye said.
Gillies is living with his handler, Sgt. Kelly Anderson, and her wife, Mel Anderson, who is an officer with East Hampton Marine Patrol. They have another dog at home.
The bond between Sergeant Anderson and Gillies was immediate, “a natural and positive connection,” Chief Drake said.
Dr. Teresa Meekins, a veterinarian with the Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation, will be providing the dog’s medical care.
“Welcome to Gillies!” Mayor Gardella told the audience to loud applause.
Louis Tutone, the chairman of the Suffolk County Police Foundation, told the crowd that “today is about much more than a dog.”
If what Tuesday was about was bringing the community together, Gillies is off to a great start.
