Police dog welcomed to neighborhood
By Melissa Muntz Community Reporter

Officer Chad Chysna and K-9 Officer Buzzy thank the residents of Winchester Estates for their $1,300 donation, which will be used to purchase Buzzy's food and supplies.

Shrewsbury - When Shrewsbury police caught a thief responsible for a string of latenight burglaries in one Shrewsbury neighborhood over a year ago, the neighbors decided they wanted to do something to give back.

So together, the people who live at Winchester Estates raised $1,300 for the Police Department, which will be used to purchase food and supplies for the department's new police dog.

Buzzy, 1, accepted the donation in person, bringing along K-9 Officer Chad Chysna.

"We just wanted to do something to give back and to thank them for taking such great care of our neighborhood," Cindy Wyman said.

Buzzy has only been with the department for a few weeks, and is currently enrolled in a 26-week training session with Chysna, where they will receive training on narcotics, tracking and criminal apprehension, as well as training on how to work together.

Town Meeting approved funds for the purchase of the new police dog, who was assigned to veteran Chysna in mid-October. Sgt. Mike Cappucci, who oversaw the meeting between dog and neighbors, said Chysna was the perfect choice to take on the K-9 position.

"He's a very good cop, he's very proactive and you couldn't have picked a better officer for the job," he said.

This is the first time Shrewsbury has had a police dog on the force in more than a decade. Cappucci said the animal is a critical addition to the department.

"A dog has the ability to track people who might be missing in the woods or if a suspect flees the scene, the dog would be able to track and apprehend a suspect that's fled to a new location," Cappucci said.

In the most extreme case, having a dog on the department can actually save the lives of other officers.

"If there's a break-in and the dog goes in first and clears the area, and if someone's in there the dog's going to find him," Cappucci said. "It can save us from going in and getting shot at or attacked."

The $1,300 raised by the Winchester Estates neighborhood will be used to purchase food, leashes, collars, treats and toys for Buzzy, who seemed more than happy to meet the donors.

While Chysna fielded questions, he needed both hands to restrain the animal from joining a game of catch that started up in a neighboring yard.