Montgomery County’s Therapy Dog
October 7, 2020
Montgomery County has a new tool to help give crime victims some support. That tool’s name is Zurg.
Zurg is the new therapy dog for the Montgomery County district attorney’s office. Montgomery County District Attorney Daryl Bailey introduced Zurg as the newest member of the team Monday.
Coming from Canine Companions for Independence, Zurg will assist his handler, victims services officer Stephanie Moore, in helping children who have been abused or neglected.
Zurg isn’t just there to help children. He’ll be there for victims of all ages.
“But he’s not only here just here for the children. He’s here for anyone that needs him. There are adults whose houses may have been broken into and they’re scared to come in and take part of this process. Zurg is available to go into the courtrooms with them. You may have one of our seniors who’s been taken advantage of in a financial scam or physical abuse. Zurg is available to go into the courtrooms with them,” Bailey said.
Zurg has had two years of specialized training for this role. The district attorney’s office says this training normally comes at an estimated cost of $50,000, but each facility dog is provided at no cost.
Zurg comes to the Montgomery County district attorney’s office through the HERO program. This is a statewide certified facility dog program to assist in helping victims throughout the criminal process. The program is executed by the Alabama Office of Prosecution Services and funded by a grant reward through the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs.
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