GREENFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Frank, a comfort dog with the Greenfield Police Department, is celebrating his 3rd birthday on Tuesday.

Frank is a chocolate English lab who joined the force in 2022 and received his name in tribute to the late Detective Frank Roche Jr., who served Greenfield from 1974 until his unexpected death in 1998. Roche was the department’s first community policing officer.

“It’s our favorite time of year, Frank’s birthday! This big boy turned 3. A huge thank you to our friend Courtney Purington and her dog friendly baking,” Greenfield Police Department stated on Facebook.

He was donated to the department by Peggi and David from Boonefield Labradors and assigned to Community Resource Officer Llewelyn. “We go to work just like anybody else, and we basically go around to different events, different community functions. We give people comfort to anyone who has a tough time, we’ll be there for them,” said Officer Llewelyn.

Frank was welcomed to the department shortly after Clarence, another comfort dog who died, and Officer Doughnut, who retired. He has put smiles on the faces of people throughout western Massachusetts and he looks forward to continuing to do so.

Care and equipment for Frank are being funded by donations and through drug offense forfeitures.

Golden retriever puppies with parvovirus found abandoned in Massachusetts

Keiley emphasized the importance of vaccination, noting that Parvovirus can kill a puppy within 48 hours of showing symptoms. “It’s a really contagious virus that can live for a long time outside in the environment, so it’s incredibly dangerous, and dogs can be infected without knowing it,” he detailed.

The MSPCA-Angell offers Parvovirus vaccines through all Angell Animal Medical Center hospitals and its four community clinics. They also partner with Boston Animal Control on vaccine clinics throughout the city, including upcoming ones in September and October.

The collaboration between MSPCA-Angell and Boston Animal Control highlights the importance of vaccination and community partnerships in preventing the spread of diseases like Parvovirus. “Working together, we’re able to save lives,” Keiley stated, underscoring the impact of their efforts.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by WWLP. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by WWLP staff before being published.