Meet Liam, Somerset County’s New Canine Therapy Officer

Standing on all fours and already loving the hunt, the new employee of the Somerset County District Attorney’s office, Liam, is just the ideal “canindate” for the job.

Liam, a 2 1/2-year-old Labrador/Golden Retriever mix, was adopted by the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office in June after retiring from the Seeing Eye program.

He has begun training for his new job as a K-9 therapy dog ​​and will work with the prosecutor’s Victim Witness Assistance Unit, which helps crime victims and their families.

According to Prosecutor John P. McDonald, once Liam is trained and certified, he and his liaison, Erin Rocchietti, Victim Witness Unit Coordinator, will comfort victims at the courthouse and at the prosecutor’s office’s Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC).

All children who come to the CAC for a forensic interview will be able to see Liam with the aim of helping traumatised survivors talk about their experiences.

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Liam will also aim to help victims and their families prepare for legal experiences.

McDonald said he hopes Liam can help Victims/Witness Unit staff in their efforts to alleviate stress and prevent victims from being re-traumatized during the criminal justice process.

The decision to hire Liam was inspired by the calming presence a dog provides employees when they come home from work, the prosecutor said.

Once sworn in, Liam will become the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office’s first official K-9 therapy dog.

This article was originally published on MyCentralJersey.com: Meet Liam, Somerset County’s New K-9 Therapy Officer