LYNN — The Lynn Police and Fire Departments were given 60 plush dog toys named “Trouble” to comfort children in distress on Thursday.
The stuffed dog toys were handed out to police officers and firefighters by Sheila Duncan, founder of The Kennek Foundation, thanks to a donation from General Electric Employees Good Neighbor Fund.
Trouble the Dog was designed in 2007 by Marblehead resident Kendra Duncan, then 12 years old. She and her aunt Sheila Duncan then teamed up to create a line of jewelry, coloring books, and stuffed animals which featured the Trouble design. The Kennek Foundation has been donating the stuffed animal to the Lynn Police and Fire Departments since 2016.
The plush dogs are meant to be handed out by first responders to children in moments of crisis, such as being removed from their home or being involved in a fire.
“It’s great for the moment of impact. It gives the police officer or the fireman a chance to connect directly with that child and break the moment of crisis. It’s something to break the ice, but it’s also something to give kids comfort when the lights go out,” Sheila Duncan told The Item.
She added, “There’s such a need for this, and it’s increasing. The response we’ve been getting with these simple gifts, it’s unbelievable. The parents say they can hear their children talking to Trouble the Dog when they won’t talk to them. We like to think of trouble as a 24/7 therapy dog — or Hello Kitty with a mission.”
She also thanked the Good Neighbor Fund board members for making the donation possible.
“They get what’s going on. They’re just wonderful,” Sheila Duncan said.
She added, “Trouble is a very expensive puppy because he’s made in America. We can’t do it alone.”
