Local News

Meet Officer Ozzie, Chelmsford police’s new golden retriever puppy

Officer Ozzie will train as a community resource dog.

By Susannah Sudborough

March 28, 2022

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The newest member of the Chelmsford Police Department is undoubtedly the cutest.

His name is Officer Ozzie, and he’s an 11-week-old golden retriever puppy who will soon begin training to serve as a community resource dog with Officer Dan Sullivan, who will be his owner and handler.

Officer Ozzie was sworn in by Town Clerk Patricia Dzuris on Monday.

“Officer Sullivan and Officer Ozzie will be a tremendous team when it comes to supporting Chelmsford students and community members,” Chief James Spinney said in news release.

Officer Ozzie and Officer Sullivan will receive training from Golden Opportunities for Independence in Walpole, police said. They will attend additional training during the next several months to get to know one another a little better and learn more about working together.

Training will include a puppy aptitude test, canine good citizen test, public access test, as well as a search and rescue certification course.

Police had challenged local students to name the puppy, and went through approximately 4,000 name suggestions before settling on Office Ozzie.

The money for the puppy came from Parker Middle School, police said, which won Boston 25 News’s “My School Rules” contest last year, and shared some of the $5,000 prize to help fund the community resource dog program.

“When not in training, [Officer Sullivan and Officer Ozzie] will be here at Parker interacting with students and helping to create a fun, calm, and supportive atmosphere every day,” Parker Middle School Principal Jeffrey Parks said in a news release.

Officer Ozzie and Officer Sullivan will attend community events, visit students, and provide a calming and supportive influence on those in the community who face trauma or other emotional crises, the police department said in a statement.