MOUNT VERNON – Meet Fritter.
He’s a two-year-old lab retriever with floppy ears and soft, golden fur. He’s quiet and attentive, and his ability to maintain eye contact makes him an exceptional listener.
He’s also the newest member of the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, and he’ll soon play a crucial role in the prosecution of crimes against children.
Fritter will work specifically with Detective Dan Bobo, who handles all crimes against children in Knox County. He’ll be utilized in every phase of the process – from child removal, to the interview room, to the courtroom.
“It gives us another resource, or an avenue to connect with victims of crime – especially children, as well as adults,” Sheriff David Shaffer said. “It gives Dan another route, another way to put victims at ease.”
Fritter is no ordinary pup. He’s a certified service dog, and he’s been trained by professionals at Canine Companions for Independence – America’s largest provider of assistance dogs – since he was eight weeks old. He knows 40 commands, 10 of which are classified as ‘advanced.’ Those are on full display when he meets victims.
According to Bobo, one of the most challenging – and crucial – parts of solving crimes against children is the one-on-one interview. Most children are emotionally distraught and unwilling to open up about what happened to them. Fritter, however, can help with that.
Bobo can hand Fritter’s leash to a child, and Fritter can lead them back to the interview room. He can open the door and turn on the lights. He can grab a stuffed animal or toy for the child to hang on to, and he can snag a tissue if they start crying. If the child needs a hug, not only can Fritter sense it, but he can drape himself over the child’s lap to provide comfort.
Bobo believes children will feel more comfortable telling their story with Fritter present, as opposed to a one-on-one setting. In a time of unimaginable anguish, Fritter could serve as a ray of hope.
“I’ve been a detective for six years, and if you saw or had to hear a lot of the stories that I’ve had to hear and stuff, it’s pretty horrific,” said Bobo, who also serves on the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the FBI Exploited Child Task Force.
“I just want to do whatever I can to reduce trauma on any of the children.”
And if all goes according to plan, this level of victim comfort could translate to more successful prosecution on the county’s side.
“If they’re more comfortable telling more of the story and more details, that helps with the case,” Bobo explained. “We’re able to get more details of when things happened and how things happened.”
Bobo plans on talking with local judges to see if Fritter will be allowed in the courtroom as well. Fritter could sit by the witness stand during stressful victim testimony, or he could wait in another room and victims could see him afterwards.
While many law enforcement agencies have therapy dogs, Bobo explained that Fritter is different. His skill set and ability to bond with victims (Fritter is currently valued at $50,000 after two years of training) give him a bigger purpose.
“There’s a lot of places that have more of a therapy dog,” said Molly Schulz, public relations and marketing director at Canine Companions for Independence. “But understanding the benefit of having a true, courtroom service dog, with the ability to really work on confidence, to perform tasks with people, to help them… they’re not just there to be a comfort.”
According to Schulz, only a handful of law enforcement agencies in Ohio have certified service dogs. There is one CCI dog serving in the Cleveland area, she said, and another down south. The idea of having a fully trained service dog in the courtroom and interview room is still new, Schulz said, but more and more law enforcement agencies are becoming interested.
“Everyone that has (a service dog), they don’t know how they’ve done it without them this long,” Schulz said. “I hear stories where they get more details that allow them to prosecute more fully than they ever have before, because they’re sharing it with the dog. And so they now can truly protect the people, and they know they’re able to have the full story.”
Fritter’s long road home
Monday was Fritter’s first day on the job here in Knox County. The first week has gone smoothly, Bobo said, as Fritter has been introduced to deputies, judges and various members of the community. Bobo takes Fritter home every night, and he said his family already loves the dog.
But getting Fritter to Knox County was almost a two-year endeavor – one that took patience, hard work, and a little bit of luck.
Canine Companions for Independence is a national nonprofit, and its service dogs are trained for several different purposes. When the organization began in 1975, its main role was providing service dogs to those with physical disabilities. These dogs help increase their handler’s independence by working with them to complete everyday tasks. CCI service dogs can help those with hearing disorders as well, using physical contact and body language to communicate.
Most recently, CCI has developed a program where service dogs are trained to provide support for veterans with PTSD. Dogs are trained in tasks including anxiety and nightmare interruption, and are able to support their handler in crowded situations that might provoke anxiety.
Then, there are dogs like Fritter, who are trained to work in a healthcare, visitation or educational setting. He is known as a “facility dog,” one that is trained to motivate, inspire and comfort its handler.
All of CCI’s dogs are trained to learn 40 commands, and all are provided to applicants free-of-charge (CCI is funded mostly through individual and corporate donors). The application process, however, is long and selective. Only a set number of applications are accepted each year. According to CCI’s website, the organization must select individuals or agencies who would benefit the most from the tasks performed by a service dog.
Bobo discovered CCI two years ago, after realizing the need for comfort and guidance during victim interviews. He applied for a CCI service dog online, then gave two interviews – one over the phone and one in-person – where he shared his vision for how the Knox County Sheriff’s Office would utilize a dog like Fritter.
Eventually, Bobo’s application was approved. CCI then placed him on a waitlist for service dogs, while staffers scoped out which pup might fit his needs best.
While the application process unfolded, Fritter was busy learning basic commands – things like sit, stay and retreat – while steadily becoming more advanced. He was bred in California, but quickly moved in with a volunteer ‘pup-raiser’ somewhere in CCI’s north central region, which spans 14 states across the midwest. He eventually came to CCI’s Delaware, OH training center to learn his final set of tricks.
When in Delaware, Fritter was identified as a perfect fit for Bobo. The two met at the training center last month for a week-long orientation session, where they got to know each other and worked on skills Fritter would be using at his new job. Bobo and Fritter graduated from the program last Friday, prepared to hit the ground running.
Setting Knox County apart
While the Knox County Sheriff’s Office has two narcotics detection dogs – both Belgian Malinois, the same breed used by the U.S. Secret Service to guard the grounds of the White House – Fritter is the office’s first service dog.
He’s also one of the first service dogs in Ohio to be used in a law enforcement setting. Schulz believes his capabilities will set Knox County apart, as Fritter will undoubtedly help Bobo and local law enforcement make the community a safer place.
“In these law enforcement settings, having these dogs that can not only comfort, but then help utilize their tasks to distract someone from the pain that they may be feeling, and allow them to put that into words, is where we see these dogs making an incredible impact,” Schulz said.
“They’re helping the communities that they’re serving, and the law enforcement officers (are) able to do their job and make the community safer for everyone that lives there.”
Fritter’s not done learning, either. CCI representatives will come back every year or two years, Schulz said, to offer further training.
Bobo plans on taking Fritter to community events whenever possible, so the public can see its newest four-legged hero. He’ll be wearing his blue CCI vest and a collar with his own badge on it, which Bobo said should be coming in soon. His obedience will be startling – as Bobo took questions from reporters on Tuesday, Fritter maintained eye contact the entire time, blinking only when absolutely necessary.
Eventually, more sheriff’s offices will seek dogs like Fritter. Service dogs aren’t just comforting to victims, Schulz said; they’re comforting to detectives as well. Bobo spends his work days investigating traumatic cases, surrounded by heartbreak and pain. Having a furry companion by his side certainly won’t hurt.
As Bobo and Fritter stood together on Tuesday outside the sheriff’s office, they seemed like two peas in a pod. Fritter had already earned the trust of Bobo, just as he will for many moving forward.
“The dog has a way to earn someone’s trust. They aren’t going to respond back, all they’re going to do is sit there and listen,” Schulz said. “And no matter what you say, their tail’s going to wag, they’ll give you a kiss on the cheek, and they’re going to love you just the same.”
Those interested in learning more about Canine Companions for Independence and how to apply for a trained service dog can visit the organization’s website, cci.org. Scroll over the “Assistance Dogs” tab and click on the option, “Is a Dog Right for You?” There, prospective applicants can learn more about the program and beginning the application process.
