Torch Club meets capable canines

Ridgefield Police Department’s K-9 dog, Loki, and Capt. Jeff Kreitz of the Ridgefield Police Department demonstrating Loki’s ability to disarm a suspect.

Torch Club members, from left, Annie Cozens, Hailey Robson and Emmy Liu with ROAR therapy dog Bacon.

The Boys & Girls Club of Ridgefield’s Torch Club was host to Ridgefield Operation for Animal Rescue’s therapy dogs, as well as the Ridgefield Police Department’s  K-9 Unit, on Dec. 21.

Torch Club is a national leadership and service club for middle school-age club members, focusing on character development, community service and social skills. Members engage in programs and activities that are agreed upon, developed and implemented by the members themselves. This year’s national project theme was Protecting Animals with Service, or PAWS.

For their PAWS project, Torch Club members collaborated with the Ridgefield Police Department’s K-9 Unit officer, Shawn Murray, as well as the head therapy dog trainer of Ridgefield Operation for Animal Rescue, or ROAR, Mary-Jo Duffy. For the project, Torch Club invited three therapy dogs from ROAR as well as Ridgefield Police Department’s K-9 dog Loki for an afternoon assembly that club members of all ages participated in.

“Torch Club could not be more thankful for the support from ROAR and the Ridgefield Police Department. Events like this would not be possible without the cooperation from community organizations,” said Jeff Goncalves, Torch Club adviser.

Torch Club members made a donation to a police fund and to ROAR, with money raised by Torch Club members to benefit the animal service programs.

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