Martoccia
HOPE – While a miniature Australian shepherd is officially partnering with law enforcement, it’s won’t be the K9’s job to sniff out drugs or take down fleeing criminals.
But snuggling is an entirely different matter.
The 3-year-old canine named Starlight has been trained to be an emotional support dog. That means the dog will provide a sense of well-being, comfort, and companionship when needed, Bartholomew County Sheriff Chief Deputy Maj. John Martoccia said.
The Bartholomew County commissioners have approved an amendment to a memorandum of understanding that will allow Flat Rock–Hawcreek School Resource Officer (SRO) Jessica Pendleton to bring Starlight with her to the Hope-area schools.
While Pendleton will continue to own the dog, the amendment calls for the school corporation and the SRO to share costs in the caring of the Australian shepherd, Martoccia said. In addition, food has been donated for the dog’s lifetime, he added.
Since Starlight won’t cost local taxpayers any money, the commissioners had no objection to unanimously approving the amendment.
A dog like Starlight can bring a degree of comfort to children during the worst moments of their lives, Martoccia said.
“A lot of times, we have to do death notifications,” Martoccia told the commissioners. “Whether we have to tell the children their parents have died in a car crash or vice-versa, we can use that dog.”
Pendleton obtained the dog some time ago and personally paid for the fully-grown, 26-pound Starlight to become a certified emotional support dog.
The training and certification came through the south central Indiana chapter of Love on a Leash, a national non-profit committed to bringing comfort, happiness, and healing by increasing public awareness of pet therapy, according to the organization’s website.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, the mental health of many individuals has changed worldwide, Martoccia said.
“A lot of schools are obtaining therapy dogs,” the chief deputy sheriff said. “It’s really becoming a national trend.”
The presence of a therapy dog can decrease anxiety and provide a level of comfort that enables students to work through a variety of challenging issues.
The dog may also be used for operations such as critical incident debriefings, community relation events, support of juvenile victims, support for victims of violent offenses and those who have suffered other traumatic events.
