CADIZ — The Harrison County Prosecutor’s Office has enlisted the services of a four-legged friend to aid victims in cases.

Harrison County Assistant Prosecutor Jeffrey Bruzzese said his 3-year-old golden retriever Luna will soon be certified as a service dog, after which she will aid young victims of criminal court cases.

“When we interview children, children victims in particular and even some adults, we always give them a coloring book or a doodle pad just to help distract them when we’re talking about some pretty bad things, so that’s ideally what I think her role will be,” Bruzzese said.

The service pup immediately showed promise in her future endeavor, Bruzzese said.

“She (Luna) showed instinct for it,” he said.

Luna would often comfort Bruzzese in instances when he was feeling stressed, he said.

Once certified, Luna will act as emotional support for victims of criminal cases. Service animals are often used to alleviate symptoms of mental or emotional condition, according to the Service Dog Certifications.

“Really most of the stuff I foresee her doing is going to be child victim cases,” he said.

Bruzzese said in most cases when children are involved, he spends a lot of time building trust prior to even inquiring about the alleged incident

“So hopefully she’ll (Luna) be able to comfort them (victims),” he said.

Bruzzese said Luna will become officially certified in May, along with himself.

“The training is basic obedience. … One of the things they do is kind of create chaos, and then see how she handles it; make sure she stays calm,” he said.

Luna will be exposed to numerous elements and situations to ensure she is comfortable and calm during her certification, he said. A portion of the training prior to certification includes spending time in public to aid the dog in coping with moments of distractions and surprises that they may encounter.

“Now that I’ve gotten through all the individual classroom training, now its a matter of making sure she is conformable in new environments,” he said.

Bruzzese will also become certified as Luna’s handler during the certification assessment that is set to occur in the next few months.

“They have to make sure she listens to me and will respond to my orders. So we’ll both be certified,” he said.