Crisis response dog added to District Attorney’s arsenal

Photo: Handler Ryan Temple with the District Attorney’s office and Bruce, a Crisis Response Dog added to the office. (Courtesy photo)

The DeSoto County District Attorney’s office has a new four-legged addition to its arsenal. 

District Attorney Matthew Barton and his office has welcomed Bruce, a new Crisis Response K-9 dog (CRD) . Bruce is a golden retriever/labrador mix who just turned one-year-old. It was when the dog turned one that District Attorney Matthew Barton’s office could obtain him and bring him back from his training and certification in Iowa to his new home in DeSoto County.  

Ryan Temple will be Bruce’s handler. Barton said the dog will serve several purposes in his work with his office.  

“He is trained and ready for any emergency, whether it’s an officer-involved shooting, a victim with a minor child, or a crime with a minor child as a victim,” Barton said. “You name it, he is trained for it.”

Crisis Response Dogs are used by a number of organizations, including the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. Schools and universities, including Mississippi State University, have used therapy dogs. For instance, Mississippi State University has brought in therapy dogs during finals and after student crises.

Hospitals, mental health facilities, and the American Red Cross also use CRD dogs.

Barton said Bruce is going to provide peer support for first-responders, witnesses, and victims, especially for child victims.  

‘He can be available from the time of the crime scene through their forensic interviews to when the child comes to our office to interview with our attorneys,” Barton said. “That’s the part we are most excited about.” 

At times of emergencies where an officer or a first-responder is involved, a CRD dog has the ability to comfort them and ease the trauma they endure at an extremely stressful time, Barton said.

“We wanted to say at the end of the day that we’re doing everything we can to be good partners with law enforcement, that we’re doing everything we can to support them and support our victims,” said Barton.  

A CRD has been successful in other parts of Mississippi and Barton is looking forward to adding Bruce to his arsenal. He has been training since he was a puppy and already has earned several certifications during the year. 

The cost for Bruce was $11,000, Barton said, adding the funding did not come from taxpayer money, but rather from asset forfeiture money.

“This is 100 percent funded from seized drug money from drug dealers,” Barton explained, adding he expects that Bruce will be making field trip appearances for schools and groups, when he’s not helping ease the stress of a highly emotional situation.