Meet Sir Winston
May 28, 2020
Sir Winston Furchill is the poodle puppy who has become the newest and furriest member of the Rainbow House Advocacy Center in Columbia.
Although Winston is only undergoing basic puppy training now, he will eventually have the training to become a certified therapy dog for the center.
Children go to Rainbow House to be interviewed by forensic interviewers about their experiences with severe and sexual child abuse.
Brenda Porter, Rainbow House Program Director, said therapy dogs are great to aid in potentially stressful environments.
A few of the staff members picked up Winston on Thursday, May 21, and Friday, May 22 was his first full day at the Center.
Hilary Eustace, a Forensic Interviewer at Rainbow House, said with proper training Winston will be able to calm children down in the interview process.
“Sometimes when children talk its really raw emotions and so you know they show all different types of upset and crying and anxious,” Eustace said.
The staff at Rainbow House were also excited for his arrival.
Micah Moore, Family and Child Advocate, said he will be a calming presence in a sometimes stressful environment.
“He’s going to serve a purpose for our whole team and not just the families and the kiddos that we serve,” Moore said.
“I think he will provide therapy for all of us in a way and a nice distraction from the tougher content that we work with every day.”
Rainbow House had to cancel their annual fundraiser on April 4 due to the coronavirus but their annual golf tournament is still on for Monday, August 3.
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