Main Street News

He’s a dog on a mission, wandering around the room with his leash trailing behind, sniffing, stopping now and then beside a chair, and looking questioningly at the occupant.

No, he’s not begging for treats, but a pat here and there might be part of his quest.

Wrigs is working the room at a debriefing held by the Columbia County Stress Team. He’s doing his job as a therapy dog, looking for the people who need his soulful stare or his comforting presence beside them  – or maybe even in their lap – as they work their way through processing a disturbing event.

This is Wrigs’ job, as a law enforcement therapy canine with the Hudson Police Department. He’s on duty every day, to help both officers and the public handle whatever stressful time they are going through. He is named for Bill Wrigley, a popular Hudson Police Officer who passed away after an automobile accident, in 2014.

It all came together

Sergeant Larry Edleman, Wrigs’ handler, said that getting him “all came together fairly quickly.” The department administrator put out the request for a comfort dog, “At the same time this guy was looking for rescue.” This was in December of 2023, when the pup was nine months old. He was with a family that was being evicted, and he came to the department through the Columbia-Greene Humane Society.

“We had to do a temperament test,” Edelman remembered, “So I took him home. My four-year-old and one-year-old climbed on him, used him as a step stool, and to me, that was the test.” Obviously, Wrigs passed with flying colors.

Since his work would be police oriented, his training was as well. “In essence I did it all,” Edelman said, “I was being trained by a local man, retired from Hudson Police Department. He trained me so I could train the dog.”

When it was time to get further therapy learning, the two went to a Brevard County, FL, sheriff’s office unit that specializes in canine law enforcement training. “We got on the plane together, he sat next to me. We were there for one week,” Edelman recalled.

The training started with classroom lectures about canines in general, understanding them and how to communicate in their ‘language.’ The team went through extensive scenarios, which included attempts to overwhelm the dog and see his reaction, through all of which, “He maintained his usual demeanor.” The training then moved on to taking the dogs out in public to introduce them to people. Edelman explained, “That led to introducing children and adults who appeared to be distraught, crying, upset, and so on.” 

Wrigs was taken to one of the busiest, most popular stores in the area and had every walk of life thrown at him, in an attempt to overwhelm him in a controlled setting, “putting everything we learned to the test.” 

There was also training for courtroom testimony situations, where in the case of victims of serious violent crimes, or others hesitant to speak due to the stress of the court process or the severity of what they fell victim to, “Wrigs is trained to lay next to a victim while they testify.” 

The final test at the school was, “a simulation of what could only be described as a circus. A room had music, loud sounds, things hanging and swinging from the ceiling, and dog food and French fries strewn about the floor. We had to find a child who was crying, amongst many people, without me leading him there, and console him while we located his parents.” They aced that test, and, “We got our certification together. We work as a team, as a unit. We’re no good without each other,” Edelman noted.

A job well done

Treats are not given on a daily basis, but Wrigs does get some during monthly in-service training, as his reward for doing his job. “All he ever wants is to please me, so when he truly does, by completing his job successfully, he earns himself that treat,” Edelman explained.  

Training never ends, “Every day, including this one, is training for him. We’re in all sorts of environments,” he said. On this day, Wrigs went through HPD’s car seat safety check event, with cars driving in and out of a firehouse bay and children eager to pet and fuss over him.

Wrigs and Edelman have been patrolling together since April, 2024, “He lives with me, he responds with me.” He doesn’t do apprehension, he’s not trained for that, but he is trained in trailing human scent and could track runaways or vulnerable adults in “any situation where someone needs to be found.” Although they have not been called for that, which Edelman says is a good thing, “there is no doubt in my mind he’ll do the job and not scare somebody.” He continues to train for this, “To find someone makes him feel good.”

While there have not been any cases yet where he “saved the day,” Wrigs is called to respond even when off duty, such as to a recent school bus accident, which fortunately had no injuries but put him to work comforting a large number of frightened kids.

“People put out a different scent when they are upset or stressed,” Edelman explained, and that is what Wrigs recognizes. “He’ll walk around, push against a person, even get into their lap.”  

He is not limited to working in the City of Hudson or with that police department. Edelman said they work with the Hudson Fire Department peer support team, letting responders know the importance of dealing with stress. The two have been at a class on the effects of stress on volunteer firefighters. We met at two debriefings with the Columbia County Stress Team, for members of departments who have witnessed unusually traumatic events. 

When his uniform vest goes on, Wrigs knows he is on duty. He has two, one for therapy and one for tracking. At home without the vest, “We just let him be a dog. Structure and discipline end when we pull in the driveway.” 

Edelman ended with, “Dogs certainly have a way of bringing out the best in people and easing tension. Wrigs has been a great tool to help bridge the gap between police and the community.”