MANSFIELD — Superintendent Teresa Murphy and Police Chief Ronald Sellon are pleased to announce that a new patch featuring assistance dog Bentley is now available for sale.
The patch depicts the Mansfield Public Schools’ assistance dog, Bentley, who has been working with School Resource Officer Det. Ken Wright since the spring of 2019. He came to the district through the non-profit organization NEADS World Class Service Dogs, which trains and places service dogs with veterans and people with disabilities.
As a NEADS assistance dog, Bentley works to make children, faculty and visitors in Mansfield schools feel calm and welcome.
Proceeds from sales of the Bentley patch will go directly to NEADS, with the goal of supporting a veteran battling Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Veterans who qualify for the program receive a NEADS dog like Bentley free of charge thanks to generous donors, and through patch sales the Mansfield Public Schools and Mansfield Police hope to raise enough money to place a NEADS dog with a deserving veteran.
The patch is outlined in teal, which is the official color of PTSD awareness, and features an image of Bentley on a gray camouflage-colored background. It has already been a hit in the community, and was sold at the annual Thanksgiving Day football game between Mansfield High and Foxborough High.
The patches are $10 each, and can be purchased by clicking here.
“Bentley has been a tremendous addition since he joined us un 2019 and we are very grateful for everything he and SRO Wright do to make our schools a more welcoming and inviting place,” Superintendent Murphy said. “We hope the community will support the NEADS organization and the work they do by purchasing this new patch.”
To learn more about NEADS World Class Service Dogs and it’s work placing assistance dogs with veterans, visit neads.org and follow the links for “Service Dogs for Veterans.”
###