Photo Caption: Nancy Macleod, assistant manager of Charles River Bank Mendon office, presents Officer Pichel and his k-9 partner Brady with a donation check of $500 to support the Mendon K-9 program. The program began in December, 2015, and is intended to assist the police force in more effectively patrolling the town of Mendon.

Charles River Bank recently donated $500 to the Mendon Police K-9 program. Nancy MacLeod, Assistant Branch Manager of Charles River Bank’s Mendon office, presented the

donation to Officer Matt Pichel, who manages the K-9 Program in Mendon, and his German Shepherd K-9 partner Brady.

Mendon began the K-9 program in December of 2015 with a grant from the Stanton Foundation in an effort to better patrol the town. Brady has quickly shown his value to the Mendon Police Department and in March he even helped locate a missing teenager. To establish the K-9 program and certify the pair, Officer Pichel and Brady have had to successfully complete over 600 hours of training. In August, the duo began training again at the Boston Police Department K-9 Academy, this time specializing in narcotics. The Mendon Police Department hopes that Brady will become a dual purpose dog focusing on both patrol and narcotics. The donation from Charles River Bank will help the police force acquire a new, specially outfitted police cruiser for Officer Pichel and Brady.

“As a Mendon resident, and dog lover, I am especially proud that our bank can help the Mendon Police Department fund the K-9 program. Our community will continue to benefit from the specialized law enforcement techniques and safety programs that Officer Pichel and Brady can provide,” stated Charles River Bank President & CEO Jack Hamilton.