NMPD’s Alamo has quickly become ‘the star of the show’

NEW MILFORD, Conn. — The community is embracing the newest addition to the town’s police force.

Alamo, an English Black Labrador Retriever, as the NMPD’s facility dog is winning over – and comforting – the hearts of New Milford Police Department staff and residents in the community 

His job description – to offer support and comfort to those who need it, including officers and community members – is something that comes naturally.

“His primary job is to make people happy, and he’s doing a pretty good job of that,” said Alamo’s handler, Officer John Legan, with whom Alamo resides. 

Alamo’s presence enhances officer wellness and aids in victim support, Officer Legan explained.

Officers and first responders who undergo repeat trauma can benefit from having a dog around, the officer said. “If you have a rough call, when you get back you can throw the ball around with Alamo….a dog naturally puts people in a good mood. Sometimes just being there, that’s enough.”

A canine like Alamo can also be an “icebreaker” on a call where an individual doesn’t want to talk, Officer Legan said.

The 15-month-old canine was recently onboarded at no cost to the department after having been trained through the Puppies Behind Bars nonprofit program that trains incarcerated individuals to raise service dogs for wounded war veterans and first responders, facility dogs for police departments, and explosive-detection canines for law enforcement.

Deborah Rose/New Milford Police Department's newest addition to the force is Alamo, an English Black Labrador Retriever, who serves as the department's facility dog. He is paired with Officer John Legan.

In just the few weeks of being on the job, Alamo continues to build trust and rapport with his handler and his colleagues, bringing smiles to many at the department and around town.

In the mornings, after eating breakfast alongside his handler at home, he heads to work at the PD. “The first thing officers see when they come in is Alamo greeting them at the door,” Officer Legan said.

When Alamo isn’t greeting officers at the door, he can be found wagging his tail when he sees a new face or playing catch with someone. He was recently spotted heading up the stairs by himself to explore the police station’s upper level. There, he visited the chief’s office and Dispatch.

Office Legan said Alamo’s bed can be moved so he can get comfortable wherever he is, and he can engage in play with his “host of toys” downstairs.

“He’s a little spoiled – by design.” Much of it is comfort, though, to make sure Alamo knows he is well cared for and loved, and that he is part of the family.

Although new to the job, Alamo participates in and attends community events. He’s already made visits to town hall, a town council meeting, and several schools, where students were excited to meet the 60-pound canine that has his own Facebook and Instagram accounts.

If there’s time to stop somewhere in the course of a day, the partners will make a stop somewhere in town. In addition, several organizations have made visit requests. 

“He is the star of the show everywhere I go,” Officer Legan said. “And I’m perfectly fine with that.”

Since Alamo has been adopted into his new home, the two have continued to bond in and out of the department.

“He’s my partner, my best friend, and family pet at home,” the officer said. “He knows that on-off switch for work and home. At home, his favorite thing to do is pick up his favorite toy….he’s got the biggest case of wiggly butt.”

Courtesy of Officer John Legan/After a full day of work, Alamo enjoys comfort time at home, where he resides with Officer John Legan and his family.

Welcome, Alamo

The officer said the department has been interested in obtaining a facility dog for some time. PBB conducts interviews with all parties involved to match the personality of the dog with the handler. Officer Legan was excited to learn he had been selected as the NMPD handler.

Puppies enter prison at the age of 8 weeks and live with their incarcerated puppy-raisers for approximately 24 months, according to PBB’s website. As the puppies mature into well-loved, well-behaved dogs, their raisers learn what it means to contribute to society rather than take from it.

Alamo was born Dec. 8, 2023. He was raised and trained by an inmate at Green Haven Correctional Facility, a maximum-security facility in Stormville, N.Y.  The canine moved to Fishkill Correctional Facility in Beacon, N.Y., about a week before he met Officer Legan for their two-week training at Fishkill in February.

The focus of training was building a bond and learning commands.

Deborah Rose/A baby book Officer John Legan received after taking in Alamo includes pictures of Alamo's journey from birth through his adoption.

Courtesy of New Milford Police Department/The puppy-raiser at Green Haven Correctional Facility wrote of their feelings of Alamo's move to be placed with an officer. This note, along with others, are included in a baby book Officer John Legan received.

When the two met, Alamo had already had thousands of hours of training between his incarcerated primary puppy-raiser and volunteers who provided social interactions outside of the correctional facility.

“You have a perception going into prison, but it’s the most humbling experience being with the incarcerated individuals,” the officer said of his training at Fishkill. “We’re on two opposite sides of the law, but we were peers bonding over the dog.”

He noted some of the incarcerated puppy-raisers “had never had the responsibility for another living being” until they were selected for the PBB program.

Upon graduation from training, Officer Legan was presented with a priceless gift, a baby book filled with documents, photographs, essays, and more, all from the beginning of Alamo’s journey.

NMPD is the 15th pair of PBB in the state.

Alamo is one of four canines in the department. He joins Mattis (used for drug detection), Ella (used for tracking), Rio (used for drug detection).

Deborah Rose/Alamo's Christmas, just months before Officer John Legan received him, is documented in a baby book comprised of messages and photos by his puppy-raiser and volunteers.

Deborah Rose/Fifteen-month old Alamo greets New Milford Police Department officers.

Deborah Rose/Alamo was trained through Puppies Behind Bars, a nonprofit program that trains incarcerated individuals to raise service dogs for wounded war veterans and first responders, facility dogs for police departments, and explosive-detection canines for law enforcement.