NEWBURYPORT — For retired Newburyport firefighter Jim MacDonald, he knew right away there was something special about the sixth Labrador dog he had adopted in his lifetime.
Certified in December through the nonprofit group First Responder Therapy Dogs, MacDonald said that since adopting him, his 2-year-old yellow lab Finley has not only helped him, but allows him to help others like him.
First Responder Therapy Dogs leads the way in addressing the mental health needs of first responders by providing a new mental health tool – emotional support with the use of trained therapy dogs.
“They’ve all been great dogs, but this one, I don’t know if it’s because I’m older and the effects of the job build up over time, but he came at the right time. He actually picked us,” MacDonald said.
It was with his wife and granddaughter that he went to go pick out his latest pup two years ago, visiting a litter of puppies.
“There were 12 puppies and lots of people. He came right to us. My wife’s granddaughter picked him up, set him down to go meet others, but he just kept following us,” MacDonald said.
A week later, they returned to add him to the family.
“We started training the day he came home. At seven months, he got his Canine Good Citizen certification, then at about a year, he got the community certification, and this past July, the urban certification,” MacDonald said.
As MacDonald answered questions, Finley lay peacefully at his side, occasionally poking his head up for pats or to give a few kisses to those in the room.
He even showed off his tricks at one point, “sitting pretty” for MacDonald by putting his two front paws in the air while sitting on his back legs.
“He learns everything right away and can’t wait to do it,” MacDonald said.
Having done critical incident stress management for 30 years in Boston, MacDonald said Finley has been huge in keeping him involved.
CISM is a comprehensive system designed to help people cope with the psychological impact of traumatic events.
“I’m a big believer that everything happens for a reason. I wanted to stay connected with the job and the guys, keep doing what I was doing with the CISM work, and he helps me do that,” MacDonald said.
MacDonald, a Newburyport firefighter for 36 years before retiring eight years ago, said Finley became a huge help for him after he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
“He’s with me all the time and knows when I get triggered. It’s crazy, he’ll stick right to me and usually within a couple of hours I’m good,” MacDonald said.
He explained that as a first responder dog, he and Finley usually get sent to stations after a bad call.
“There are quite a few dogs on the East Coast doing this work. The East Coast coordinator, Tracy Ryan, is out of Canton, Massachusetts, her husband’s a firefighter. If something big happens, the national team contacts her and she puts the call out to us,” MacDonald said.
When Finley is not out on therapy duties, MacDonald said his pup loves to hang with the family and go on walks, even joining MacDonald at work at Twomey-LeBlanc & Conte Funeral Home.
“Finley and I are the first point of contact, and everybody’s says, ‘Oh my God, the puppy’ and they’ll pet him and it kind of puts them in a different frame of mind going in. And then the same thing coming out. And it’s crazy to see people, how he changes their moods for the better,” MacDonald said.
One thing he wants folks to know is that they will visit those in need, not just first responders.
“Anyone who needs us, not just first responders, can reach out. He’s great with kids, great with people, and I’m very fortunate we got him,” MacDonald said.
Matt Petry covers Amesbury and Salisbury for The Daily News of Newburyport. Email him at: mpetry@northofboston.com.