(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — K-9s Sadie and Loki wagged their way through a swearing-in ceremony at the Kane County Sheriff’s Office on Monday.
The two new therapy dogs will help provide crisis intervention and counseling services for children.
“They will be the first thing that a lot of our victims see when they come in here for an order of protection or crisis intervention counseling or whatnot,” said Desi Avitia, a social worker with the Kane County Sheriff’s Office.
Loki is a black Australian shepherd, and Sadie is a brindle mix.
“I think it adds a layer of comfortability,” added social worker Brenna Russell. “All [Loki] wants to do is love on them, so it really makes them more comfortable and just kind of helps them open up with whatever they're going through.”
Sheriff Ron Hain said that when a dog is brought into the mix, the success rates of interviews with kids in crisis improves by about 80% – 90%.
He hopes that will lead to more convictions.
“When we're focused on our victims and they're our top priority, we want to do everything that we can to make them feel comfortable so we can bring a case to a successful resolution,” said Hain.
The rescued dogs are graduates of the Paws and Stripes College in Brevard County, Fla., which pairs jail inmates with shelter dogs to teach them obedience skills and voice commands.
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