In August 2022, the Department welcomed its newest member, Sasha, a Labrador Retriever who graduated from the Puppies Behind Bars program. Sasha is the Department’s first Community Engagement Dog and tasked with bringing comfort and support to students, faculty, and staff across the Harvard University community. In her role, she and her partner, Officer Steve Fumicello, strive to spread joy and happiness through community engagement to promote health and wellness on campus. Sasha is trained to the level of a service dog and received over 10,000 hours of socialization. Through pet therapy, Sasha can assist community members with anxiety, stress relief, mental health challenges, bereavement support, or feelings of homesickness.
Sasha and Officer Fumicello are commonly seen walking around campus or attending events at the University. As the Department’s Community Engagement Dog, Sasha is extremely friendly and approachable; you are welcome to pet her or give her a hug, if you are so inclined. Sasha knows more than 50 commands, including a few common ones, like “sit” and “stay”, as well as “retrieve” to bring items to someone. A few favorite commands people like to see are, “take photo”, “salute”, and “peekaboo”.
If you would like to meet Sasha, schedule a visit with her via this form or send an email to Officer Steven Fumicello at Steven_Fumicello@hupd.harvard.edu.
Follow Sasha on Instagram @Sasha_hupd.
