KENTON, OH (WLIO) - A Hardin County canine is turning her life around, going from doggy jail to working alongside local law enforcement to help others who are going through a "ruff" time.
Meet the newest addition to the Hardin County Sheriff's Office, 3-year-old Matti Sue. Her new coworkers describe her as a calm but outgoing dog, perfectly suited to provide emotional support to anyone coming into the office that may be under stress or has experienced a traumatic event.
"I think it's going to make a tremendous difference for our victims. I think it's going to make a tremendous difference for the children that come here for interviews anytime they're having a crisis," said Hardin County Sheriff Keith Everhart.
Matti will be living in the office 24/7, and having her around is already making a "pawsitive" difference for the mental health of the employees too.
"There are a lot of calls that we take that bum us out, or we think too hard about it, could we have done more, did we do enough? And looking to her to come comfort, it's nice to get your mindset off of that and focus on something else that's always there and always sweet," explained Hannah Rhinehart, a dispatcher for the sheriff's office.
Several staff members of the sheriff's office went to the Hardin County Dog Shelter, and at first sight, they all agreed that Matti Sue was the one. Like many rescue dogs, she isn't quite used to living in a healthy, caring environment yet, but she's slowly learning how to be like a normal dog.
"I don't think she's had the best life prior to us adopting her. She's got an injured front paw. There's just signs that she really hasn't had a good life. She had no idea what a dog bed was," Sheriff Everhart said.
"We attempted multiple times to get her in the bed and she just looked at us like what are you, what are we trying to do here? So I physically had to get in the bed and get her then to crawl into it and then she really hasn't left it since. So not quite sure she's ever had a bed," added Angela Winegardner, the sheriff's office's fiscal officer.
Because of the permanent damage to her paw, Matti Sue could have had a harder time getting adopted than the other dogs if the sheriff's office had not chosen her. They encourage anyone looking for a new pet to consider checking out their local shelter, and take a chance on an animal with a troubled past. This rescue dog is already very comfortable in her new home, and ready to help others as much as they've helped her.
