Christopher C Charles @ 12:53 PM on 17 Aug, 2012 — Edited@ 12:54 PM on 17 Aug, 2012

A Pet Partners-trained service dog has become the first therapy dog for the FBI’s Office of Victim Assistance. Dolce, a German Shepherd/Siberian Husky mix, was originally adopted in 2004 and trained to become a service dog. Seeing the potential for a therapy dog like Dolce to help victims of crime, Victim Specialist Rachel Pierce set about developing the FBI’s K9 Victim Assistance Program using Dolce as its flagship agent. The program has been so successful that Pierce was awarded the FBI Director’s Award for Distinguished Service for Assisting Victims of Crimes.

This video from the FBI describes Pierce and Dolce’s roles in helping victims cope with traumatic experiences.