The Cook County State’s Attorney’s office in Chicago has sworn in an unexpected new hire — a black Labrador retriever named Hatty. The dog was brought onto the team to help comfort especially vulnerable crime victims.
Hatty was sworn in as the office’s first “facility comfort dog,” the office said Wednesday. She will assist her human coworkers on 150 to 200 cases per year.
State’s Attorney Kim Foxx gave Hatty her official badge Tuesday morning. As a member of the Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Unit, Hatty’s job will be comforting child victims as they navigate the criminal justice system.
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“A trauma-informed approach begins with understanding the physical, social, and emotional impact of trauma on the individual,” the office tweeted. “We are proud to have a resource like Hatty to provide a source of comfort for victims as they navigate this difficult process.”
Hatty is 2 years old and was trained by inmates at a prison in southwestern Illinois. She stood on her hind legs and placed her paw on a law book as an oath was administered Tuesday.
