Died – 6/15/21
Amherst Police K9 Winston passed away, the department’s first comfort dog
The Amherst Police Department’s comfort dog, Winston, has passed away suddenly.The news was posted on Winston’s Instagram page telling the community Winston became ill and was diagnosed with Lymphoma. He passed away on Wednesday, June 15th. Lymphoma is a cancer that can spread rapidly and may affect any organ.The chocolate English Labrador Retriever was donated to the department by Boonefield Labradors in New Hampshire as a puppy in 2020. He was partnered with Officer Laramee to work in the community to provide support to families involved in sensitive, emotional, or serious cases.The community was tasked to help come up with a name for the department’s new comfort dog. With more than 6,000 votes for Winston, Otis, Milo, or Ollie. Winston was officially sworn into the Amherst Police Department in September 2020.“He was great at his job. Good looks, supreme confidence, and willing to saddle up whenever the bell rang. He will be deeply missed by his brothers and sisters @amherstpolicema and the many communities he visited. We are forever indebted to @boonefieldlabradors for the honor of receiving one of their pups and molding him into a great working dog. We hope to have a memorial for Winston in the future and will keep you all posted. A special thank you to @umassvettech for all the guidance the last week. I’ll miss your partner!”On July 19th, Winston would have been 2 years old.