Therapy Dog Bringing Comfort
October 7, 2020
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office has a special K-9 who plays an important role.
While most K-9s help in crime scenes and investigations, Comfort Caj is crime therapy dog and brings smiles to the community and the sheriff’s office.
“He really brings a light and energy to this whole building, that you can’t fathom, you just have to see it,” said Tammy Erwin, Caj’s handler.
Marion County Sheriff Brian Wallace first saw therapy dogs being used after the devastation of Hurricane Matthew.
Once Wallace was elected, Erwin joined the sheriff’s office as victim’s advocate, and the two began searching for a therapy dog of their own.
The sheriff’s office received state approval, and Caj was brought to the sheriff’s office in 2017 and became the first Crime Victim Therapy dog to join a law enforcement department in South Carolina.Erwin said he has a variety of roles. He comforts victims, plays with children and visits nursing homes and schools.
But due to COVID-19, Caj wasn’t able to make as many public appearances so he found a new role.
“He was laying around going, ‘Please give me something to do.’ So, I had a friend who put on Facebook saying we need fosters for kittens at the shelter and I said, ‘Oh why not?’” said Erwin.
She was initially worried about how Caj would react to the kittens, but now they’re inseparable.
“He laid down and was the gentlest thing. He licks them and cleans them, and he’s actually been a huge help to me, keeping them bathed. Now we’re on our 25th baby,” Erwin said.
Caj has also been there to help sheriff’s office staff and deputies during some of their saddest times, including the morning they lost Cpl. Michael Latu, who died in a crash while responding to a call in December.
“Once we got through those first few hours in the middle of the night, I went home and got him because we needed him to just lay at our feet and just comfort us, and that’s his job, not only for the victims, but us as well,” Erwin said.
She added that Caj exemplifies everything the sheriff’s office is about.“We care about this community, we care about its people and he embodies what we stand for,” Erwin said.
Most Recent News
Former Victoria man’s diabetic alert dog helps him get back to life
June 2, 2021
When Luke Hengen’s diabetes worsened in his early twenties, it stripped him of the outdoor activities where the country kid felt at home. Countless wilderness adventures and years of hard-fought football games took a toll on his body, to the point where he could no longer sense when his blood sugar was too high or […]Students Get Therapy Dog
January 8, 2021
When middle school students return to class on Jan. 11, they’ll find a new face at the door: Daisy. Daisy is a therapy dog and the personal pet of Rob Kreger, principal of the Rock L. Butler Middle School. The five-year-old golden retriever is not a school pet or mascot, but rather a working dog […]Therapy Dogtor
January 8, 2021
Last March, Caroline Benzel, a third-year medical student, began to notice the stress and discomfort her nurse friends were feeling from the pressures of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. “[Personal protective equipment] can be really rough on the skin,” Benzel, 31, tells PEOPLE. Benzel and her 3-year-old Rottweiler, Loki (who’s also a therapy dog) hatched a […]Therapy Dog Pups
January 8, 2021
When Stanley the miniature fox terrier’s owner passed away, the little dog started a ‘paw-some’ new role – bringing puppy love to some of the Gold Coast’s oldest residents. After Carinity Cedarbrook Diversional Therapist Julianne Staff adopted Stanley, he began visiting the aged care community at Mudgeeraba as a therapy dog. Therapy dogs help to […]Puppy Cams
January 7, 2021
A nonprofit is providing an unusual form of therapy for those on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic – puppy cams! “You spend five minutes with a puppy and try not to smile,” said registered nurse Robin Lingg Lagrone. Lingg Lagrone says watching little furballs wag their tails and prance on their paws helps […]Pet Committee
January 7, 2021
When Moore County’s school doors were abruptly closed earlier in 2020, two- and four-legged volunteers from the Moore County Citizens’ Pet Responsibility Committee (PRC) were in their 12th year of presenting a six-session Pet Responsibility Education Program for fourth-graders. The PRC quickly shifted gears and placed its program materials online as part of a home […]The Right Rescue Dog
January 7, 2021
If your New Year’s resolution is to add a canine family member, good for you. Somewhere out there is the perfect puppy or adult dog for your family. You have a lot of things to think about when you begin to look for that new family member, puppy or dog? Large or small? Purebred or […]Police Dog Attack
January 7, 2021
A resolution headed to the Duluth City Council on Monday could put to rest a lawsuit filed by Teri Lynn Ehlers, an employee of the Patch Motel, who was bitten by a Duluth police dog named Oakley. Former Duluth Police Officer Marc Johnson was a registered guest of the Warroad establishment May 28, 2018, when […]PAWS With A Cause
January 7, 2021
Pebble Hill Plantation and the Thomas County Public Library are pleased to announce the upcoming Enlightening Bites program, “PAWS With a Cause,” on Friday, January 8, 2021 at noon in the Flipper Room of the Library. The program is being presented by Jeri Anderson, field representative. Anderson is recently retired from the City of Monticello, […]Police Canine Team
January 7, 2021
Kingston Police revealed in a news release late Wednesday afternoon that they’ve been keeping a four-legged secret for roughly three months. The force announced it added a second canine unit, with the arrival of police service dog Dak this past October. He is working with Const. Jeff Dickson, while police service dog Bask is working […]
