Suffolk County police therapy dog visits Comsewogue High School

Hamilton, Suffolk County’s first police therapy dog, spent June 12 moving through Comsewogue High School in Port Jefferson Station with his handler, Suffolk County Police Officer George Politis, giving students and staff a softer break in the school day. The black Labrador Retriever, introduced by Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine and Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina at a Hauppauge press conference on Sept. 18, 2025, now visits schools, police precincts and large public events.

Politis said Hamilton was trained through Puppies Behind Bars, where incarcerated people raise and train dogs for service work. Hamilton was originally trained to assist one person before shifting into a broader comfort role. Politis said the dog knows more than 100 commands and can even read the words “sit” and “down” off a piece of paper. Some commands are intentionally not used so Hamilton does not behave like a one-person service dog.

At Comsewogue, Hamilton showed off a few tricks and soaked up attention in classrooms. Suffolk County designed the therapy dog program to support employee wellness and community engagement.

Comsewogue already has its own therapy-dog program in place. Special education teacher Andy Harris said Ramsey, the district’s therapy dog, has been visiting schools for seven years, has made more than 70 visits and has met more than 1,000 students during that time.