There is a team member at the Dutchess County District Attorney’s Office who is doing something so remarkable, we had no choice but to name him a Hudson Valley Hero. His name is Bosch, and he’s a 3-year-old golden retriever. Bosch is a service dog who comforts people dealing with trauma as a result of violent crimes. He is the founding dog in the Dutchess County Courthouse Facility Dog Program, a collaboration of the Dutchess County District Attorney’s Office and Family Services’ Center for Victim Safety and Support.
Bosch has been carrying on the legacy of his great-grandmother, Rosie, who was the first dog in New York to ever accompany a witness testifying in court, in 2011. Thanks to his great-grandmother, he now works full-time at the district attorney’s office, welcoming any visitors who are feeling anxious, fearful, and emotionally distressed. Once Bosch is acquainted with a client, his services are available anytime to stand by the side of his newest friend at attorney meetings, interviews, court hearings, and during trials.
But that’s not all Bosch does. At Family Services’ Center for Victim Safety and Support, he offers his help to the victims of domestic, sexual, and physical abuse. According to Bosch’s nominator, Sarah Caprioli, a trauma therapist at Family Services, in certain cases in which a child is required to testify in court, Bosch has the ability to not only accompany the child to court but also to actually be present in the witness box. He also frequently accompanies Caprioli to client visits. “People are very excited to meet him,” she says. “I’ve even had clients who were on the fence about meeting dogs, and, after they spend three minutes with him, they’re hooked.”
Meet more of our local heroes—and nominate your own—at www.hvmag.com/hvhero.
