A group of children and their parents were anxiously awaiting the arrival of Cali, the Cranston Police dog, yesterday morning. I also spotted Cranston mayor, Allan Fung in the crowd.

Barrington Books Retold in Garden City Center (in Cranston, RI) was hosting a story hour meet and greet featuring Cali, the Australian Labradoodle who has been trained to act as a comfort dog for young children who may have been abused or neglected. 

Thanks to social media, she has also become a sort of a local celebrity. We’re following her Facebook Page, how ‘bout you? (For the record, Patty J is a big fan, but she’s outta town this week, so I offered to attend in her place.)

For those of you who might not be aware, Cali has the distinction of being Rhode Island’s first therapy dog to also serve as a member of a police department. As part of her official duties, she has been assigned to Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence as their “resident canine.”

The kids at the bookstore were thrilled when Cali and her handler, Detective Michael Iacone, arrived at the storytime event. The excitement level in the store was high. Gifts and goodies were passed out, and Cali eagerly approached each child, happily posing for pictures. 

Now I’ve met my share of celebrities over the years (I used to work in radio and tv back in the late 1980’s and 90’s.) and have on occasion been disappointed. Cali, however, was an absolute delight irl.