Terrebonne Parish's six four-legged deputies have taken their oath of office.
They "were sworn to uphold the law and faithfully perform their duties."
Clerk of Court Theresa Robichaux administered the oath of office.
The clerk recited the names of Oti, a Dutch shepherd, and German shepherds Grimm, Hoss, Jager, Karma and Charon, repeating the oath for their benefit.
"Most of the dogs acknowledged the oaths with barks," Deputy John DeSantis explained.
Sheriff Tim Soignet took his own oath at a nearby church.
“Every handler you see, that dog is their partner,” Sheriff Soignet said, noting that the teams are an essential component of his agency with talents that include narcotics detection, the ability to check buildings for suspected burglars, and even tracking and safely locating vulnerable missing people.
“They can track a person and not bite them. Their senses are 750 times stronger than those of humans.”
Lt. Seth Boudreaux, commander of the unit said. “They are definitely our partners. They are fully commissioned as deputies and they do the same work as us, narcotics, searches and apprehensions. We spend more time with these dogs than we do with our families.”