Woof! What's that girl? Another reason to love Staten Island? Woof, woof woof! Indeed. In case you don't speak dog, what we just told you is that Staten Island just went and changed the game on all of us. How? By being home to the first city prosecutor to hire a "facility dog" or "comfort dog" to help aid crime victims. The city's newest hire is a two-year-old, 74 pound, Black Labrador/Golden Retriever mix named Bronksey and he's adorable.
Don't pretend you don't want to take him home. Don't even try.
"As a prosecutor, I feel obligated to do everything I can to make it easier for victims of crime, who must constantly relive what was likely the most physically, psychologically and emotionally traumatizing experience of their lives as they go through the criminal justice process," Staten Island D.A. Daniel Donovan said today when announcing the hire. "There is something magical about the presence or touch of a loving dog that helps victims forget their pain and fear, if just for a moment, and be able to concentrate on moving forward and healing."
Meanwhile, Bronksey has actually been working already in Richmond County! According to the DA's office:
"Just last week, a 12-year-old boy was waiting to testify to a Staten Island Grand Jury about the abuse he suffered at the hands of a relative. The boy was visibly anxious and scared. But when Bronksey approached, the boy immediately smiled and began to play with the dog—and seemed to forget the horrible experience he was about to relay to the Grand Jury."
Bronksey was donated to the office by Canine Companions for Independence (CCI), a non-profit organization that breeds, trains, and places dogs for a variety of uses, including as therapy dogs and assistance dogs for the disabled. Normally the cost of breeding, raising and training such a pup can reach $45,000, according to CCI.
Each CCI dog is selected when they are eight-weeks-old and are placed with volunteer puppy raisers, who teach the animals basic commands and socialization skills. At about one-and-a-half the dogs move to one of CCI's facilities for six months of advanced training, where it will master more than 50 specialized commands.
So, the real question is, how long till Cy Vance and the other city DA's follow suit?
