By Jon Harris
The Buffalo News
BUFFALO, N.Y. 鈥� Scott Karaszewski quietly worked on a recent Thursday afternoon inside American Medical Response鈥檚 hub in Buffalo, while his longtime partner lounged nearby, stretched out on the floor and surrounded by a few squeaky tennis balls.
As Karaszewski greeted an approaching visitor, his partner peered through his golden locks and popped up to say hello to a new face. The visitor received a thorough sniffing.
| MORE: The science of pets as mental health therapy: A guide for first responders
Karaszewski鈥檚 partner is Rosco, a 5-year-old Goldendoodle who serves as a therapy dog for AMR Western New York. The canine helper supports AMR鈥檚 350 EMTs, paramedics, dispatchers and staff members who serve Erie and Niagara counties. Rosco helps to relieve stress, reduce burnout and bolster the mental well-being of first responders, who encounter traumatic situations every day and are often scrambling to meet demand in the community.
鈥淭he men and women in the streets do a very thankless job,鈥� said Karaszewski, chief EMS officer of AMR Western New York and Rosco鈥檚 handler and partner. 鈥淎nd we can鈥檛 thank them enough. So to be able to give them a little friend like that to cheer them up, you know, goes a long way.鈥�
But Rosco isn鈥檛 such a 鈥渓ittle鈥� friend. When he arrived at AMR in spring 2021 at around 2 months old 鈥� Karaszewski described it as 鈥渓ove at first sight鈥� 鈥� it was expected he would be fully grown somewhere between 50 and 60 pounds. But Rosco kept growing and now weighs in at 99.7 pounds 鈥� or 鈥�100 pounds of love,鈥� as Karaszewski put it.
Dog with professional credentials
Rosco is one of 44 hypoallergenic doodle dogs trained through the Global Medical Response Therapy Dog Team, a program launched in 2016 that has become a national resource across the footprint of GMR, which includes AMR. Rosco became fully certified two years ago after finishing multiple Canine Good Citizen training programs.
As for how Rosco got his name, that was inspired by a critical EMS term: Return of Spontaneous Circulation (ROSC), the restoration of a detectable pulse and effective circulation after a cardiac arrest. And at AMR鈥檚 Buffalo hub, there is a ROSC wall 鈥� dubbed the 鈥淭omorrow Wall鈥� 鈥� that started in 2017 to showcase the cardiac arrest outcomes produced by AMR responders.
Karaszewski, a veteran EMS professional, and Rosco are a 24/7 team. If an event comes up that is a traumatic call for team members in the field, Karaszewski and Rosco are ready to respond to help support the first responders.
It鈥檚 a nice resource and a positive change from when Karaszewski started in the field about 28 years ago. Back then, colleagues didn鈥檛 really talk about how they were feeling, he said. Everybody had their support group of friends and family, he said, but otherwise, EMTs and others often minimized talking about or dealing with trauma from a job that puts them at the center of life-and-death situations almost daily.
Even today, not every EMS provider wants to talk 鈥� but they don鈥檛 have to with Rosco.
鈥淚n our industry, you get a lot of people who don鈥檛 feel comfortable talking 鈥� if they have a bad day, bad call, they might even be dealing with something at home,鈥� Karaszewski said on April 30 , which was National Therapy Animal Day. 鈥淭his gives them the resource to sort of release that stress and that kind of thing to have a better day.鈥�
Therapy dogs and science
Research has shown that interacting with therapy dogs can decrease cortisol levels, a hormone associated with stress, and boost oxytocin, a hormone tied to bonding. And more mental health supports can鈥檛 hurt in a field that is struggling to recruit and retain workers.
The number of active and certified EMS responders in New York State declined 17.5% from 2019 to 2022, according to a 2024 state report. And in a 2023 survey of more than 3,000 EMS workers across the state, physical/mental health was the third-most cited factor 鈥� insufficient pay and benefits was No. 1 鈥� among reasons for why first responders would consider leaving the field.
In that same survey, 89% of respondents said they had experienced a traumatic event while working as an EMS provider, but only 46% said they received any formal or informal support from their employer or colleagues after the incident.
Rosco is just one dog, but he鈥檚 looking to make his mark and support his colleagues in Erie and Niagara counties.
He does not have a set schedule, and his days are more determined by what those around him need. AMR said he regularly visits EMS crews, checks in during shifts and spends time with students in the Earn While You Learn Academy .
He鈥檚 also a regular at community events and joins partner Karaszewski on visits to schools. Rosco loves kids, even putting up with one boy who once thought Rosco鈥檚 therapy dog vest was a saddle and wanted to ride him, Karaszewski recalled.
鈥淲hen you see the reaction when he walks into a room and interacts with team members and the kids in the community, it鈥檚 just a really rewarding experience,鈥� Karaszewski said.
Karaszewski wished to keep the specific stories of how Rosco has helped colleagues confidential to respect team members鈥� privacy. But he shared how Rosco has helped him cope through major life events.
When Karaszewski dropped his son off at college and became an empty nester, Rosco was there for him. While Rosco usually sleeps in his own bed and prefers cooler spaces, the dog could tell that his handler needed more attention that day.
鈥淭hat night, he slept in my bed with me, because he knew dad was having a rough time of it,鈥� Karaszewski recalled.
The bond between Karaszewski and Rosco is clear. Karaszewski shows off photos of Rosco on his phone, like a proud dog dad. The two share the same birthday in February 鈥� Karaszewski won鈥檛 say how old he is but laughs it off and says he鈥檚 鈥�5 in dog years.鈥� He calls Rosco his 鈥渟hadow,鈥� as the dog never lets him out of his eyesight at work or at home.
When he鈥檚 not working, Rosco maintains his calm demeanor, other than those moments when he鈥檚 destroying the squeaky plastic devices nestled inside dog toys. With all his hair, Rosco runs hot, so he has two cooling mats at home. He鈥檚 also a regular customer at a grooming salon, where he goes every four weeks to maintain his coat and look his best.
He鈥檚 a big fan of post-dinner walks 鈥� 鈥渨alk鈥� is a big buzzword for Rosco 鈥� and has a bedtime routine, too, making sure he herds Karaszewski to bed if dad falls asleep somewhere other than the bedroom. Rosco knows the neighbors and spends time next to Karaszewski on the couch, watching the game.
But mostly, Rosco is always there.
鈥淲e just have that great partnership, and he鈥檚 been one of the best partners I鈥檝e ever had, just an awesome part of the team,鈥� Karaszewski said. 鈥淎nd we鈥檙e glad we can bring this for the men and women in our field and the community out there.鈥�
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