Officer Tim Wilson with BPD’s first and only comfort dog, Copper. Cassidy McNeeley photos
Copyright © 2026 Boston Neighborhood News, Inc. This content may not be re-published or re-used without written permission.
Boston Police Officer and Dorchester native Tim Wilson might have the best partner on the entire police force. She’s fiercely loyal, listens well, and loves her job.
Did we mention she’s a dog?
Meet Copper, the BPD’s first-ever comfort dog, a Fox Red Labrador who works with the Bureau of Community Engagement attending neighborhood events, visiting with seniors and youth, and being on hand for BPD officers.
“We get to do a lot of really good work,” says Wilson. The job, the day-to-day, answering the radio, it’s so difficult, but doing something like this is so meaningful.
“Generally speaking, we get requests from the districts. We supplement all the districts and do like two events a day.”
Last Tuesday, one of those events happened to be at Dorchester’s Keystone Apartments, where Copper was a surprise guest at the annual Halloween party.
Officer Wilson and Copper were excited to make new friends and see some familiar faces at Keystone’s annual Halloween party.
When she walked into the Sam Sawtelle Community Room, residents were quick to leave the dance floor and dinner table to greet the soon-to-be three-year-old pup.
“We do the walking program here; we do the coffee,” said Wilson. “We come as much as we can. Whenever they see her, they are just so excited. They would literally kidnap her given the opportunity.”
Dianne Ransom, originally from South Boston, has lived at Keystone for 24 years. She said that although the pup “doesn’t talk much,” her impact is obvious. A self-proclaimed “dog lover,” Ransom said Copper brings joy to everyone she meets.
Sweet Copper kisses Keystone resident Dianne Ransom.
Keystone resident Gwen Porter agrees. She was bitten by a dog when she was a tween and has been “petrified” of dogs ever since. The calm, comforting Copper has helped her overcome that fear.
Sitting just outside the party in the building’s lobby, Porter FaceTimed her family. When the camera panned to show Copper, they were both shocked and proud.
Copper’s breeder, Jocelyn Dame of Dame Dogs Labradors, said she can’t take all the credit for the dog’s calm temperament.
“Copper comes from some amazing breeding lines, but she was also trained by a fantastic trainer,” said Dame. “Jeff Cruz owns Boston Canine, and he has trained her to be the best…He brought out all of those genes in her that were already there to be the dog she is today.”
Wilson took the training seriously, too.
“I tried so hard, really put in all the hours of work,” he said. He brought Cooper home when she was three-and-a-half months old. “The way I saw,” he said, “it is, if I have a well-behaved dog, I can really connect and provide a service with her.”
Copper, who joined the BPD ranks in 2024, passed her Canine Good Citizen test in October that year, then aced her Advanced Canine Good Citizen Test in April 2025.
A festive Sharon Helebert poses with comfort dog Copper.
“We trained for everything,” said Wilson. “I always say, it’s balancing her workload and happiness. Keeping her fresh, keeping her energetic, keeping her interactions is good for everybody.”
Dame said that Copper is great for the officers, too. “If you’re an officer that’s had a really rough case or that was involved in something that may cause PTSD, or they are just having a really stressful day at work, the comfort dogs are great. They can kind of bring in that calmness and that happiness.”
She added: “I think with all of these police officers are doing in this day and age in the crazy world that we live in, it’s just nice to see that joy being brought in.”
When Copper isn’t on the clock, she likes to go on walks, swim, and hang out with her brothers Fergus and Rocket. She can often be found with her favorite toy, “princess bear,” a stuffed bear in a pink tutu, nearby.
And like most labs, she loves to eat.
“She is a Cookie Monster, but we all know that,” laughed Wilson. “She’s the only dog I’ve ever met who eats clementines.”
You can keep up with Officer Copper’s adventures online or email her at Copper@pd.boston.gov.
Copyright © 2026 Boston Neighborhood News, Inc. This content may not be re-published or re-used without written permission.
