Suffolk County DA Welcomes New Facility Dog to Comfort Victims, Witnesses

Photo: Suffolk County District Attorney and Indy. (Credit: Suffolk County DA’s Office)

Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley has welcomed a new four-legged friend to work in his office.

Indy, a 2-year-old facility Golden Retriever and Yellow Labrador mix, was provided to the DA’s office last month at no cost by Canine Companions for Independence, and will serve as a facility dog to comfort and alleviate stress of people the DA works with in general, as opposed to service dogs trained to help one specific person.

“Navigating the criminal justice system can be daunting even for someone who isn’t in crisis,” Conley said. “But for someone afraid and uncertain about describing a traumatic event before a room full of strangers, it can be overwhelming. That’s where Indy comes in. He’s especially trained to be a source of comfort to people, especially children, in emotional turmoil.”

Thus far, Conley said, Indy has sat in on a meeting working through a serious injury of a loved one in a car crash, has made friends with a teen who was sexually assaulted and, more recently, sat in on a forensic interview with a young victim of physical and sexual abuse by family members, Conley said.

“In this latter case, Indy’s already proven his value,” he said. “In a previous forensic interview, the little boy was emotionally walled-off from the interviewer and we made very little progress. But last week, we introduced him to Indy. After getting to know one another for a little while, they went into the interview room and something remarkable happened. The boy opened up more than he ever had before. There was something about Indy’s gentle, loving nature that let the child speak.”

Indy lives with Kara Hayes, his handler, who also serves as director of the DA’s Victim-Witness Assistance Program. He will be with the DA’s office for about four years or longer, according to the DA’s office.

“He might be helpful with young victims at the Children’s Advocacy Center, or even in our courthouses,” Conley said. “You don’t have to be a kid to be nervous about testifying in the grand injury or at trial, and having a friend like Indy around to calm you down beforehand could be a great help to victims and witnesses alike. He may even have a part to play in our drug court, mental health court and veterans’ court proceedings. There’s something about Indy’s friendly, trusting nature that breaks the ice and puts everybody at ease.”