Child Advocacy Center of NNY welcomes new service dog

April 11-- Apr. 11--WATERTOWN -- The Child Advocacy Center of Northern New York's newest staff member, Emelia, is responsible for bringing comfort and support to children who have experienced sexual or physical abuse. A 2-year-old golden retriever and Labrador mix, Emelia is best at providing unconditional love to those who need it most.

The Child Advocacy Center, a program of the Victims Assistance Center of Jefferson County, provides services for these children including forensic interviews, referrals for counseling and therapeutic intervention, victim support and advocacy, medical evaluations and case review and tracking.

Emelia now helps children through these tough situations, whether it be snuggling up next to the child during an interview or supporting them through a court trial.

Amy Quonce, program director at the center and Emelia's handler, said she had heard of the drastic impact a dog can have on children in these situations. She started the process for getting their own dog last year, after receiving approval from her director.

"I've always been amazed when I hear of other places that have (service dogs)," Mrs. Quonce said. "Something so simple as having a dog in the room and what a huge difference that can make for children just to ease their mind, calm them and support them."

After being deemed compatible with Mrs. Quonce through two weeks of training sessions, Emelia was brought to the center to begin her work in February.

Emelia is valued at about $50,000, due to her extensive two-year training, but was no cost to the center. She was provided by Canine Companions for Independence, a nonprofit organization that provides highly-trained assistance dogs and ongoing support to ensure quality partnership. She can perform over 40 commands designed to motivate and inspire clients, along with a few interactive games.

Mrs. Quonce said the center decided to bring in a service dog, rather than a therapy dog, because of the difference in training. Unlike a service dog, a therapy dog is a pet trained to interact with many people other than its handler to make those people feel better. While Emelia provides support to all, she knows Mrs. Quonce is her handler and responds to her commands.

"We decided to go with a service dog rather than a therapy dog because she is highly trained, so we know we can trust her and she'll do what we need her to do," Mrs. Quonce said. "We work with so many kids, we needed to make sure we were doing something that's safe."

Mrs. Quonce said Emelia knows when she is working, and takes her job very seriously. However, at the end of her work day, Emelia heads home with Mrs. Quonce and is able to be a typical puppy. Once her service vest comes off, she knows she's off duty.

"She's a normal dog at that point. She can run, play and have a good time," Mrs. Quonce said. "All she wants is to be a good girl."

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