“Can we pet him?” », says a student when she sees Newton while another takes a photo of him.
“Certainly, that’s his role. As soon as you see him on campus, don’t hesitate to come see him and give him some love,” replied community liaison officer Gabriel Gaumond.
“You can even follow Newton on Instagram,” he adds.
But who is Newton? Concordia University’s therapy dog.
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
A student at Concordia since January, Louise Flouhr ran to Newton. “I have a dog at home in Belgium and I miss him. »
It’s Tuesday morning, 10 a.m., at the entrance to Concordia University’s Hall pavilion. Almost all the passers-by spontaneously approach Newton, smiling. “It’s my favorite part of the day,” one enthuses. “ Good boy! “, said the other.
“People stop almost constantly,” underlines Gabriel Gaumond, which we note with amazement.
” It’s incredible ; We did not expect Newton to arouse such a reaction, rejoices Darren Dumoulin, director of the Security and Prevention Service at Concordia University. We see that this creates exchanges between students who would not otherwise speak to each other. »
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
Darren Dumoulin, director of the Security and Prevention Service at Concordia University
Darren Dumoulin had the idea of incorporating a therapy dog into his team while attending a conference in the United States last June, organized by the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators.
He made the official proposal to the management of Concordia, even though he had already found a hypoallergenic canine candidate from a breeder in Saint-Hyacinthe. He had gone to see a group of Portuguese water puppies, and one of them insisted on staying with him… However, Darren Dumoulin got the green light from his university more quickly than he had expected, even before he told his family.
For someone who has been an employee of Concordia for 30 years, it’s quite a life change, because Newton lives on the South Shore with him… and two chihuahuas! “I am more with Newton than I am with my wife,” he says. Someone had to be dedicated. »
A comforting presence
Newton gradually entered Concordia last July, three months after his birth on 1er april. Gabriel Gaumond immediately adopted it and affectionately named it “potato”.
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
When Newton puts on his jacket which serves as his uniform, he puts himself “on duty”, underlines Gabriel Gaumond. But he can also go into “cuddle” mode.
Gabriel’s Community Liaison Officer position was created during the pandemic to increase the sense of safety at Concordia. He is not a typical security guard who enforces the rules, but rather a friendly familiar face that students turn to when needed. “People are more inclined to come and talk to me. »
Women who don’t feel safe confide in Gabriel, for example. He also works with people experiencing homelessness, whom he knows by name, and he always has naloxone nasal sprays in his first aid kit in the event of an opioid overdose, of which there are around twenty cases. per year all around campus. In other words, it can save lives.
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
Newton is undergoing training to be officially certified as a therapy dog.
Gabriel, for example, identified someone who had a full-time job, but who no longer had a home. He often saw him sleeping on campus. “I managed to convince him to meet our social workers and we found him a resource. »
With Newton, Gabriel has a powerful power of attraction! “It’s my favorite time of the day,” said an employee of the Concordia store, Valery Cardenas. Right across the street, Starbucks employees run towards the curly beast.
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
David Danos takes a break from flattering Newton as he prepares a demonstration over rising tuition fees at English-speaking universities.
Newton usually spends an hour in the morning and another in the afternoon meeting students and staff at the Sir George Williams campus buildings downtown. Wednesday is his big day, since he takes the shuttle to go for a trip to the Loyola campus, seven kilometers away, on Sherbrooke Street. He brings good humor wherever he goes.
Newton is undergoing training to be officially certified as a therapy dog. On two occasions, teachers requested that he walk around a classroom before exams to reduce student anxiety.
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
Newton has space in the offices of Concordia University’s Security and Prevention Service and Lyne Denis always has kibble for him. “Newton takes me to the office,” she said. An animal is good for the soul, for the mind. »
At Concordia University’s Safety and Prevention Service, Newton enhances working relationships. “I don’t matter to anyone anymore. When I arrive, they ask me: where is Newton? », jokes boss Darren Dumoulin.
Another related task for him: to feed Newton’s Instagram account followed by 1,300 people!