K-9 Officer Toumayan Shares her Passion with the Community

Toumayan, a native of Lexington and current Chelmsford resident, has served on the Concord force for 15 years. “I joined the force because it was pretty exciting to have the opportunity to help people and make a difference,” said Toumayan.

Toumayan, a dog lover by nature, was passionate about Schutzhund, a dog sport developed in Germany that tests the breed suitability for German Shepherds. The practice involves training a dog in tracking, obedience and protection.

Pativ had a dramatic impact on the department. Before his death in 2007 after struggling with illness, Pativ was instrumental in the apprehension of more than 34 missing or wanted individuals, as well as more than 40 drug seizures. Pativ was also described as “friend, co-worker, public figure and family” on a local memorial site.

Pativ was replaced on the force by Charik, also trained and owned by Toumayan. Both dogs were trained by Toumayan to respond to German, Armenian and English. Toumayan learned Armenian at a young age from her mother and grandmother. “I am proud to be Armenian,” said Toumayan and added that she loves that Charik understands Armenian as well.

Charik may originally hail from Holland but has made the local community his home serving as a “huge asset” to the force. Charik’s job is anything but a walk in the park. He is utilized in narcotics searches, finding missing or wanted persons and is often the first to enter a dangerous scene, including sites of possible explosives. “A trained dog is going to be able to convey various scenarios to you with its body language,” explained Toumayan.

Toumayan also serves on the North Eastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (NEMLEC), a professional law enforcement organization that maximizes and expands member resources and capabilities by sharing equipment, knowledge and personnel. It is composed of 54 cities and towns, including Concord, from across two counties.