OCEAN CITY – Officials this week welcomed a new therapy dog to the Ocean City Fire Department.
On Monday, elected officials, public safety representatives and Worcester County students gathered at the Ocean City Fire Department to welcome Max, a 20-month-old black Labrador, as part of the department’s new therapy dog program. Fire Chief Richie Bowers said Max will work alongside his handlers – Ryan Whittington and Ian Spice – to provide comfort and outreach to first responders, resort employees and community members.
“He will be able to provide any service that is needed and certainly will be able to educate on safety matters such as fire and injury prevention …,” he said. “Max is not just ours, he’s yours too.”
Whittington, the department’s community engagement officer, said Max recently completed 18 months of training and is well-versed in commands such as sit, visit, and lie down. Those skills, he said, will be used to help first responders, resort employees and community members.
“Therapy dogs like Max have been shown to have a positive impact on mental and emotional wellbeing, especially for those in high-stress environments like the fire department or police department,” he explained. “They can provide comfort and emotional support and be a source of distraction and stress relief.”