By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
The Thurston County Prosecutor’s Office introduced its newest member to the public yesterday, Marshal the courthouse dog.
Marshal the courthouse dog
The 2-year-old black Labrador is trained to provide companionship for individuals by reducing their stress and assisting those reliving painful events, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Thurston County Prosecutor Jon Tunheim says Marshal can offer a soothing influence for the victims they work with.
“Crime is a traumatic event for victims,” Tunheim said in a news release. “As difficult as the incidents themselves can be, giving statements about what happened and navigating the criminal justice system forces a victim to re-live that challenging trauma.”
Marshal was provided free of charge by Assistance Dogs of Hawaii, where he was trained. He will work at the main courthouse as well as at the Family Support Center of South Sound.
Comfort dogs in courthouses are not new.
The Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office brought in Oak, a court therapy dog, earlier this year.
Anne Larsen of the Thurston County Prosecutor’s Office indicates courthouse dogs have been in place since 2004, with 95 other facility dogs like Marshal working in 29 other states.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
Motorboatin-
Damn…First of all, I didn’t say ‘tomorrow’. Ever heard of timing? You took the time to post a comment that comes across as snarky. Did you actually even want to know, or did you just have nothing else to do….way to time manage, pal.
At least I had something to say….
Dianne,
Are you really digging up a year and half old thread to say nothing? Ok, yeah I’ll tell you tomorrow… sounds like a carrot dangled in front of a horse.
Wtf?
Not to mention the 40K salary w/ benefits some lucky relative of Patty Murray will get for “caring” for the “comfort dog”.
Oh boy.. Bo Rupert and my fellow non-corrupt Washingtonians… You don’t know the half of it. But fortunately I do and when I get to take this public then you will have the fortune of knowing. But everybody really should look into this before I get to go public with it because it’s insane what they are wasting tax payers money on all in the name of ‘victims rights’! Leave me
the whole world is going to be shocked when they hear what I get to say pretty soon. Very soon in fact. Stay tuned
This was totally unnecessary!!!! Yeah the dog was provided for free but how much of our tax dollars are going to be used to purchase dog food and pay vet bills now??????? The Thurston County Prosecuting Attorneys Office has been successfully prosecuting cases since 1889 and they didn’t need a dog to do that until now!!!!! The government should really stop spending money on crap they don’t need and stop crying about how they are all out of money. I can not say this enough, this was stupid and totally unnecessary. Now if people want to take their private moneys that they earn and donate it to feed this dog I have no problem with that. But tax payers dollars should not be used to keep up maintenance on this dog.—– OK, rant over.