One of Georgia’s newest employees has four legs and is ready to help crime victims.
Meet Asher, a Labradoodle and trained “comfort dog” who has joined the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles and the Georgia Office of Victim Services. Georgia’s board is the first paroling authority in the country to add a comfort dog, the agency said.
In his new role, Asher will work alongside his handler, Mandy Kimner, to assist crime victims and others facing traumatic events, respond to emergencies and attend community events.
“Asher will reduce stress for those around him,” Kimner said. “Asher is a comfort canine and is true to his name, which means happy. He is here to uplift and positively impact our community.”
Asher joins the state ranks from Tails of Hope, a Meriwether County organization that provides rescue dogs for training to serve in a variety of ways, such as therapy dogs.
“Tails of Hope dogs do everything from monitoring a diabetic child’s blood sugar, ‘sweeping a room’ for a veteran for PTSD, to helping a young autistic girl cope with bullying in her school,” the organization’s website states.
In his new role, Asher will also be available to help state employees, including those who work for the board, the Department of Corrections and the Department of Community Supervision deal with stress. He’s expected to help people around the state, according to Executive Director of Parole Chris Barnett.
“Asher and Mandy will be attending various community events, school engagements, and will take any opportunity where they can provide assistance and comfort to those impacted by violent crime and trauma.”
Georgia’s comfort dog program began after parole and victim services staff met Flossy, a South Carolina Department of Corrections therapy dog, at a national conference in 2022. Flossy’s handler later visited the Georgia Parole Board to assist with starting the program.
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