Meet Officer Donut, Greenfield, MA police's new comfort dog

GREENFIELD, Mass. (WSHM/NNS) - The police department in Greenfield, Massachusetts, would like everyone to meet its new comfort dog.

Officer Donut, a 9-week-old Saint Bernard puppy, joined the ranks of the Greenfield Police Department in Massachusetts May 31.

Since then, he’s been training side-by-side with his cousin, Officer Clarence, a 7-year-old adult Saint Bernard with a lifetime of comfort dog experience.

In their roles as comfort dogs, officers Donut and Clarence will be working with crime victims.

They'll also be called upon to help defuse mental health emergencies and to help lower people's anxiety and fear at the time of tragic incidents.

Once Donut can work on his own, Clarence is expected to retire.

The Saint Bernard was originally bred to save people trapped in avalanches. The Greenfield police say Donut and Clarence are perfectly suited to save people trapped in an "avalanche of anxiety."