New Town of Niagara PD therapy dog gets new lease on life

By Benjamin Joe

Senior Contributing Writer

A chocolate Labrador named Cocoa has found a second chapter in life after being adopted by Town of Niagara Police Clerk Miranda McQuillan. Cocoa will serve as a therapy dog for the police department.

Cocoa was found without a collar in late April on Lockport Road by Eric “Rick” Salisbury, the North Tonawanda dog control officer. Salisbury dropped her off at the department while he searched for the owner.

In the meantime, Town of Niagara Police Chief Craig Guiliani said there was an instant chemistry between the dog and the entire police force – especially McQuillan.

“She’s here with us,” he said of Cocoa’s time with them. “She’s hanging out and she took to Miranda like she’s known her forever. She sat in her lap! She wouldn’t leave her side.”

Like many lost dog cases, however, this one was solved when the man who had been babysitting Cocoa came in to reclaim her.

Strangely enough, though, that was not the end of the story.

Police Clerk Miranda McQuillan is the new owner of a former stray named Cocoa who has shown nothing but love and affection for her. Cocoa and McQuillan will receive training so Cocoa can become a therapy dog for the Town of Niagara Police Department.

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“Because he couldn’t show proof of ownership, the dog had to go to the SPCA, because it was a stray. By state law, there’s a five-day period where you have to show ownership of the dog,” Guiliani said.

By this time, a certain kind of bond had formed between the dog and her future family. When Salisbury got in touch with the owner, he asked him if he’d consider allowing McQuillan to adopt Cocoa so she could be trained to be the department’s therapy dog.

According to Guiliani, many departments have a therapy dog because, with police officers seeing many unpleasant things, a level of emotional and mental support is helpful to keep them on the job.

“A lot of agencies have gone to that format,” he said. “That they have a dog that comes into the department and is trained to be a support dog. If you’ve had a rough day, a rough call, a traumatic experience when you’re on the road, you come back here and this dog is here to support and comfort you. A rub on the head of a dog makes someone feel good.”

The owner signed off and paperwork for Cocoa’s veterinary bills, a food stipend and training was approved by the town.

“It came together pretty quick,” Guiliani said.

As a final surprise, the SPCA found while spaying Cocoa that she was in danger of dying of an infectious disease.

“It’s something dogs in heat might get, with their uterus getting an infection that could be deadly and kill them!” said McQuillan, who has two other dogs. “And they felt she was on her way to getting that.”

Now, McQuillan and Cocoa are on their way to be trained by WNY Heroes, a nonprofit that typically trains dogs to assist U.S. military veterans.

McQuillan said Cocoa must’ve somehow known that she had found her place.

“She definitely found me,” McQuillan said.