Retired Therapy Dog Connor Honored for Service to City with Proclamation; Celebrates with Attempted Nap
By Jeff Toquinto on June 09, 2026
Being honored for years of service, or retirement, by Bridgeport City Council is not unusual. Deciding to lie down on the floor during the presentation could be considered unusual.
Then again, when it comes to Bridgeport therapy dog Connor, lying down occasionally on the job, taking a nap, and even allowing co-workers and strangers to rub you belly is often the rule and not the exception. On Monday, Connor was rewarded for his dedication to/Council%202026/Council%206-8-26%20I%20Connor.jpg)
Bridgeport and the city schools following his retirement last week after seven years of service.
Bridgeport and the city schools following his retirement last week after seven years of service.
Connor was honored during a relatively short City Council meeting of less than an hour Monday where several key items were finalized and discussed. However, the applause meter only kicked on one time and that came following the presentation to Connor who was with is handler and favorite human, Bridgeport Prevention Resource Officer Jamie Hamrick.
“She came to me with an unorthodox idea of putting a dog in the schools as a therapy dog,” said Chief Mark Rogers. “I said, ‘where are you going to get one?’ She said, ‘I just happen to have this dog and his name is Connor.’”
After that, Hamrick did the research, got Connor certified as a therapy dog, and introduced him to the school system. To say the experiment has been a success would be a massive understatement.
“(Connor) was the first certified therapy dog (in the school system) in the state of West Virginia that I’m aware of,” said Rogers, who pointed out former First Lady Cathy Justice introduced a statewide program for schools two years later. “... Connor is the OG of therapy dogs.”
Rogers then read off the proclamation honoring Connor. And afterwards, the applause thundered down with little reaction from the /Council%202026/Council%206-8-26%20Connor%20Cops.jpg)
honoree.
honoree.
Hamrick said she initially wanted to bring a German Shepherd into school. That changed when Connor wandered into her backyard and set the whole beautiful scenario in motion.
“God said ‘I have other plans.’ He knew what we needed and when we needed it,” said Hamrick.
Connor sniffed at the proclamation. However, he perked up when Interim City Manager Joe Shuttleworth brought him an economy sized bag of treats.
During the business portion of the meeting Council came to a unanimous consensus on freezing the emergency services fee for those lodging within the municipal limits for a period of a year. The governing body agreed to amend the ordinance and look at its impact over the next year.
By this time next year, Council will need to determine to raise the charge on rooms in hotels and motels from $3 to $4.50 on July 1, 2027,/Council%202026/Council%206-8-26%20Murray.jpg)
and then to $6 on July 1, 2028
and then to $6 on July 1, 2028
The ordinance for the fee went into place on July 1, 2025. The fee was applied to hotels, motels, and any lodging facility to cover costs needed for the emergency personnel, the previous Council said. The $3 fee has been used to hire additional staff at the Bridgeport Fire Department, while the future funds were to providing funding for resources needed by the Bridgeport Police Department.
Council also approved the purchase of two parcels of land. The only matter left, with a signed agreement in place, is to do the closing.
The one parcel drawing the most is property owned by Freda Wilson and located on Main Street. The property is situated in the heart of the downtown area that includes the trailer park, which their sign states has been in business since 1947 (78 years) and Ann’s Sounds Familiar, a long-time bar that sits next to Winnie’s, which has been closed.
Council unanimously agreed to acquiring the property for $750,000. Council will use one-time business and occupation tax dollars to make the purchase.
Council also finalized the acquisition of a three-acre lot that abuts Compton Park. This parcel comes with a $145,000 price tag. It will be paid for by P&R’s 3 percent cut of the city’s hotel-motel tax.
However, it did not pass unanimously. Council member Chris Kinney, who said it would be an “extreme luxury” at the May 27 meeting to/Council%202026/Council%206-8-26.jpg)
purchase the property after asking for lodging facilities to pay the emergency services fee mentioned above.
purchase the property after asking for lodging facilities to pay the emergency services fee mentioned above.
Two other business items were quickly addressed. Council approved the 2026-27 fiscal year salary ordinance, which is a procedural matter done annually.
The only item, besides the emergency services fee, under new business that was acted on was “general fund budget revision #10” for the current fiscal year. After approval Monday, it added an additional $850,749 in revenue to the budget. The bulk of the revenue - $640,000 – is one-time B&O revenue that is set aside for future capital projects.
Murray who filled in for the mayor's position with Robert Matheny out on an excused absence (along with Don Burton and Jason Campbell, made the proclamation on behalf of Council,for Migraine and Headache Awareness Month to nurse Allison Scarcelli. During the same portion of the meeting, Jared Cummons of the Wastewater Treatment Plant gave his department’s annual presentation to the city’s governing body.
Father Walt Jagela of All Saints Catholic Church gave the invocation.
Editor's Note: Connor takes a gaze on Police Chief Mark Rogers just as he began to read Connor's retirement proclamation and shortly before he laid down to relax as PRO Jamie Hamrick looks on with a smile. In the second photo, members of the police force on hand for the retirement recognition join City Recorder Harry M. "Hank" Murray for a group photo. In the third photo, Murray addresses the governing body, while Council member Chris Kinney is shown below.
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