First Yooper canine advocate is here

ESCANABA — Being the victim of a crime is never easy but the Delta County Prosecutor office is trying to make the process a little more comfortable.

The Delta County Prosecutor’s office was just granted the first Canine Advocate in the U.P. His name is Charles and he’s a fourteen month old yellow lab. Those working in the Prosecutor’s office will be going through three days of training this week to help prepare for Charles’ arrival.

“I can’t speak highly enough of that program because they do such a great job training the dogs. I was thoroughly impressed with his demeanor and his ability to work from day one of coming into the office. Our expectations for Charles are high. We know that he is well trained and well suited to help victims of crimes and we’re excited to put him to work,” said Delta County Prosecutor Philip Strom.

Charles’ main job at work will be making crime victims more comfortable.

“For a child that would be intimidated of our office or the court process, this is a good buffer and a good way to get them to feel more comfortable, to help tell their story, to help us understand the trauma that they have gone through, and for us to get them ready to testify in court and interact within the criminal justice process,” added Strom.

Strom says a lot of work has gone into bringing the Canine Advocate Program to Escanaba. The hope is Delta County can be an example for other courts.

“Charles is the first yooper Canine Advocate and we’re very proud of that. We have other counties, I believe Iron and Marquette Counties, that are also trying to get this service and will be getting this service, I think, relatively quickly for their community members as well,” Strom said.

For more information on the Canine Advocate program, click here.