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HE IS THE FIRST TO GRADUATE FROM CANINE COMPANIONS FROM HIS CLASS.
HE IS TWO YEARS OLD, A BLACK LABRADOR.
HE IS JUST COME TO US BASICALLY LAST WEEK.
HE IS A TRAINED FACILITY DOG, WHICH IS DIFFERENT FROM A THERAPY DOG BECAUSE AS HIS HANDLERS WE DON'T HAVE DISABILITIES AND HE HAS BEEN PLACED WITHIN THE FACILITY TO WORK SPECIFICALLY WITH THE KIDS THAT WE SERVE.
HE IS HERE FROM THE TIME THAT CHILDREN GET HERE TO JUST HELP SUPPORT THEM, FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE.
KIDS THAT COME HERE, UM, ARE OFTEN EXPERIENCING SOME OF THE MOST DIFFICULT TIMES IN THEIR LIVES, AND ERY IS HERE JUST TO HELP THEM FEEL A LITTLE BIT BETTER IN THE PROCESS.
FACILITY DOGS ARE BECOMING MORE AND MORE POPULAR, IF YOU WILL, IN CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY CENTERS AND JUST CHILD-FOCUSED SETTINGS IN GENERAL BECAUSE THIS IS TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE AT ITS BEST.
I CAN'T EVEN PUT INTO WORDS HOW MUCH DIG DEGREE'S ALREADY HELPED WITH THESE, THE CHILDREN AND THE FAMILIES THAT WE SERVE IN JEFFERSON PARISH.
HE HAS JUST BEEN A CALMING PRESENCE.
SOME OF THE KIDDOS THAT HAVEN'T WANTED TO GO BACK FOR THEIR INTERVIEWS, ERICA HAS DONE, YOU KNOW, BROUGHT DEGREE OUT THERE AND HE DID ACTUALLY ONE OF HIS THERAPEUTIC COMMANDS, WHICH IS COVER WITH THAT TEEN.
AND SHE WAS ABLE TO KIND OF WORK THROUGH WHAT SHE WAS FEELING AND BE ABLE TO GO BACK AND DO HER INTERVIEW.
EVEN SOME OF THE KIDS IN HERE IN THERAPY, LIKE THEY JUST FEEL A LITTLE BIT MORE CALM.
SO I MEAN, THAT'S BEEN THE MAIN, THE MAIN THING I'VE SEEN SO FAR.
BUT I CAN ALREADY SEE HOW MUCH WORK HE'S DONE AND HOW MUCH HE'S PROVIDED THESE FAMILIES ALREADY.
HE IS THERE TO PROVIDE COMFORT.
HE IS THERE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT AND WE KNOW THAT WHEN CHILDREN FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE AND THEY'RE MORE RELAXED, A CALMER CHILD IS A STRONGER VOICE.
CHILDREN ARE GONNA BE MUCH MORE EMPOWERED.
UM, TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THINGS IN GREATER DETAIL.
WE ALREADY PRIDE OURSELVES IN, IN THIS FACILITY.
BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE A SAFE SPACE FOR KIDS DIG DEGREE JUST HELPS US ELEVATE THAT TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
WE COULD NOT LOVE, DIG DEGREE MORE.