Penny, first canine advocate for domestic violence victims in Allegheny County, dies
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Penny, the first domestic violence canine advocate in Allegheny County, has died.
In a release on Tuesday, Crisis Center North said the dog died Monday at the age of 16. The center said Penny was the first shelter dog in Pennsylvania to provide courtroom support to victims
"She provided emotional support to countless victims with her calm demeanor, strong presence, and intuitive understanding of how to help those in need," the release said.
Penny was the lead dog advocate for the PAWS For Empowerment Program at Crisis Center North. She was first brought into the office in 2010 by Grace Coleman, the president & CEO of Crisis Center North, and began working with the program during its debut in 2011.
In 2013, Penny was invited into local courts to provide support for victims. Since then, two more dogs have been added to the PAWS For Empowerment Program.
"It's hard being the first at anything, but Penny's pioneering efforts in being a comfort dog for victims, especially children, has resulted in the comfort dog program now being a permanent part of victim services in the county," said Mike Manko, communications and marketing manager for Allegheny County Sheriff Kevin Kraus, in the release.
"Penny may have looked like a dog," said a center staff member in the release, "but she was a human at heart. She had a strong sense of justice, of right and wrong, and of empathy."