The Allegheny County Jail has a new employee, Fergus.
Fergus is a 5-year-old black Labrador retriever and will serve as a therapy dog that will work with incarcerated juveniles.
Acting Warden Shane Dady made the announcement through a press release on Wednesday.
Fergus will be joined by a handler, bi-weekly at the jail to see male and female juveniles behind bars.
“We have found the therapy dog program to be effective and positive, while contributing to both academic and psychological growth as well as promoting self-esteem and increased social skills in our juvenile population,” Dady said. “The therapy dogs put a smile on everyone’s face, whether they are interacting with staff or the incarcerated population.”
Fergus joins therapy groups that are done by the Academic Institute, the jail’s high school.
The goal is to increase “empathy and compassion in students, decreasing student anxiety and oppositional behaviors that interfere with academic growth, increasing positive attitudes about learning and school, improving self-esteem, providing a sense of connection, and lessening emotional trauma.”
Fergus is the second therapy dog at the jail. Link, an Australian shepherd has other obligations this year and was unable to return.
“We were pleased with the success of animal-assisted therapy with Link, and we are thrilled to continue with Fergus,” said Mariah Hartman, an Academic Institute counselor at the jail. “The students enjoy the comfort and non-judgment that therapy dogs bring to group sessions, and I appreciate how the dogs facilitate communication and interaction within our groups. It is our hope that for however long our students are with us, the therapy dog program supports their rehabilitation.”
Incarcerated males will spend time with the dog in four different, 30-minute groups. Females will have one-on-one time.
“With Link, we saw an increase in focusing skills, classroom participation and a reduction of mental health symptoms in the juvenile population,” said Renee Madden, a Deputy Health Services Administrator at the jail. “We’re excited to be able to continue offering this program with the addition of Fergus.”
Fergus also works that the Beaver County Courts, Pittsburgh International Airport and visits local schools.