NORRISTOWN — K-9 Barney, a 2-year-old Golden Retriever and Labrador mix, was introduced last week by Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele as a comfort dog to help crime victims and witnesses, especially children, as they navigate the criminal justice system.
Barney replaces the previous courthouse comfort dog, Turks, who was forced to retire in April 2021 due to medical reasons after working with hundreds of victims during nearly seven years in the DA’s office.
Barney was trained by Canine Partners for Life (CPL) to provide emotional support and reassurance to victims and witnesses as they tell police during interviews or testify in court about very traumatic experiences, according to a press release from Steele’s office.
“We know first-hand from our experience with Turks how important a courthouse comfort dog can be in reassuring victims, especially children. These special dogs make a difference in whether a child is able to share what they know or are just too afraid to talk,” said Steele. “Barney is a great dog, and we are thrilled to welcome him to our team.”
Born on June 16, 2022, Barney spent the first six months of his life with a Canine Partners for Life volunteer puppy raiser in Delaware. His second phase of training was at SCI Somerset, where prisoners in the Prison Puppy Raising Program taught Barney basic obedience skills and the basic building blocks for service skills. A year ago, Barney returned to CPL’s campus in Cochranville to work with professional service dog trainers on specialized skills he needs to help victims and witnesses in his new role.
Barney is completing the final stages of his training with his new handler, Montgomery County Detective Eric Nelson. Nelson and Barney are touring the district attorney’s office, the Montgomery County Detective Bureau, courtrooms and the hallways of the Montgomery County Courthouse to meet staff and become familiar with his new courthouse home. After work, Barney will become a member of Nelson’s family.
