Dallas

Tarrant County Sheriff to Get Deputy Labradoodle

Puppy to be used as therapy dog

The Tarrant County Sheriff's Department is getting a new tool to ease the pain of crime victims – and it has four legs.

You might call him Deputy Labradoodle.

The department will get its own labradoodle therapy puppy to bring to crime scenes and other places to help bring down the stress level.

Former Dallas Cowboys star Jay Novacek and his wife, Amy Novacek, raise the dogs on their Johnson County ranch. They are longtime friends of Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourne.

"It's done so much for us personally, and every time we take them out and share them with other people it's amazing to see what they've done for people," Amy Novacek said.

They brought "Buddy" and "Hank" to tour the sheriff's office Tuesday, but they're training a brand new puppy labradoodle to donate.

"I think it's a wonderful program," Waybourne said. "I think we'll be able to insert this animal into several different places all the time."

The sheriff said the animals can also be used to calm deputies who have been through a bad experience.

"Every time I have seen a dog like this interjected into a situation, it brings down the tension in the room," Waybourne said.

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