He was a gentle giant known for healing broken hearts.
In the aftermath of tragedies in Newtown, Boston, Las Vegas and other communities, a 125-pound Akita had a quiet but important job to do. Along with his handler Brad Cole, of Milford, Spartacus the therapy dog would comfort survivors and the first responders working these traumatic incidents.
Spartacus died December 9 after being stricken with advanced bone cancer. It was a sudden end, Cole said, to a decade spent helping people heal from trauma. The duo got their start volunteering at Yale New Haven Hospital as a registered therapy dog team.
