K-9 Barney joins District Attorney's office as new comfort dog for victims, witnesses

Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele on Wednesday announced the arrival of K-9 Barney, a 2-year-old Golden Retriever and Labrador mix, will help crime victims and witnesses, especially children, as they navigate the criminal justice system.

Barney replaces Turks, the previous District Attorney’s Courthouse Comfort Dog, who was forced to retire in April 2021 due to medical reasons after working with hundreds of victims during nearly seven years with the DA.

Barney was trained by Canine Partners for Life to provide emotional support and reassurance to victims and witnesses as they tell police during interviews or testify in court about very traumatic experiences.

    K-9 Barney. (Credit: Montgomery County District Attorney's Office.)
  

“We know first-hand from our experience with Turks how important a courthouse comfort dog can be in reassuring victims, especially children. These special dogs make a difference in whether a child is able to share what they know or are just too afraid to talk,” said Steele. “Barney is a great dog, and we are thrilled to welcome him to our team.”

Born on June 16, 2022, Barney spent the first six months of his life with a Canine Partners for Life volunteer puppy raiser in Delaware.

His second phase of training was at SCI Somerset, where prisoners in the Prison Puppy Raising Program taught Barney basic obedience skills and the basic building blocks for service skills.

A year ago, Barney returned to CPL’s campus in Cochranville, Pa., to work with professional service dog trainers on specialized skills he needs to help victims and witnesses in his new role.

    K-9 Barney. (Credit: Montgomery County District Attorney's Office.)
  

This week, Barney completes the final stages of his training with his new handler, Montgomery County Det. Eric Nelson. Barney’s favorite game is fetch, and he loves stuffed animal toys with squeakers.

Nelson and Barney are touring the District Attorney’s Office, the Montgomery County Detective Bureau, courtrooms and the hallways of the Montgomery County Courthouse to meet staff and become familiar with his new courthouse home. After work, Barney will become a member of Det. Nelson’s family.