Swampscott Police Officer Brian Wilson found himself in Florida in 2022, where he met four dogs after then-Superintendent Pamela Angelakis suggested adding a four-legged friend to the district’s team.
One of the four dogs, an American black Labrador retriever, ran right up to Wilson and took a seat directly on his shoe. At that moment, Wilson, who serves as the school resource officer, had made up his mind.
“The rest was history,” said Wilson.
That black lab would go on to be named Sora, and after three years visiting all of Swampscott’s schools, she has become something of a local celebrity.
“Everybody knows her name, and everybody knows her face,” said Wilson. “She’s the face of our community.”
On social media, an Instagram account dedicated to Sora is closing in on 1,500 followers.
During her time in Swampscott, Sora has made countless friends and has even made Wilson’s job easier. He said that since introducing Sora, many students are less intimidated by seeing a police officer in their school hallways and are far more likely to approach and connect with him.
Sora is a trained comfort dog. For some students, she is used as a reward for good behavior. For others, she is a friendly face around school, always ready to play ball or offer a comforting hug.
Some students have told Wilson that Sora is the reason they come into school on a day where they aren’t feeling their best.
“She is one of the most caring, loving dogs I have ever been around,” said Wilson. “She has a calm, gentle demeanor and thrives in these environments.”
Sora’s impact goes beyond Swampscott, too, when she travels to other school districts to comfort students and schools who have experienced recent tragedy.
The 60-pound black lab is also trained to be able to find missing people if ever needed, and Sora is trained to find evidence as well.
“She is kind of a jack of all trades,” said Wilson. “I wish she could work forever.”
Wilson said it took just a month for Sora to get entirely comfortable with her role. Since then, it’s been smooth sailing. Sora no longer needs a leash to walk to his office each morning, and Wilson said he never has to worry about her temperament.
Sora is 5-years-old, and she will continue serving in her role for up to another half decade. After that, Wilson hopes that her legacy and popularity will continue on with another service dog and handler.
