LYNN — With its soft gray faux fur, floppy ears, and little red tongue, Trouble the Dog is just about the perfect size for a child swamped by trauma and disruption to hold and hug.
Sheila Duncan’s Marblehead company, Larkin Ltd., makes the comfy stuffed animals, including 125 Trouble the Dogs delivered to Lynn Fire Department headquarters on Western Avenue on Thursday for distribution to local fire stations and the Police Department.
The toys were purchased by the General Electric Employees’ Good Neighbor Fund for $5,000 with the fund committed for the third year in a row to getting the toys into children’s hands.
Massachusetts Department of Children & Families social worker Lisa Joyce said Trouble makes a difference in helping kids removed from their homes for protective custody reasons and children experiencing traumas, including fires and domestic violence.
Deputy Fire Chief Arthur Richard said the toys provide a small but lasting comfort for kids who have endured fires, medical emergencies involving family members, and accidents.
“When we encounter kids, it’s likely to be at a time that will be the worst memory of their life, but they might also say, ‘Hey, the firefighters made me feel better,'” Richard said.
After creating Trouble in 2006, Duncan said the cuddly pooch became a hit with public safety and adolescent service agencies. She founded the KenneK foundation to facilitate distributing the toys with the rationale, stated on KenneK’s website, that “Trouble is not just a plush dog, but a proven coping mechanism for those going through tough times.”
Police Lt. Michael Kmiec said Trouble toys are a vital component in the support package police provide to children aided through Cops for Kids with Cancer.
“Any time we have kids come to the station, we use them. You’re trying to divert the child from the situation at hand,” he said.
