Support dog Toast pops up at Placer County DA's Office

The Placer County District Attorney's Office has a brand new employee that may arguably be the cutest and most popular to ever step foot - or should we say paw - into the office. An adorable, 1-year-old lab/poodle mix named Toast is reporting for duty and will serve as a support dog for victims and survivors of crime. Toast is expected to work with many units within the DA's office, providing canine support during victim interviews and meetings, court accompaniment and testimony support, forensic interviews of children, community events and staff support. Dogs like Toast have become widely recognized among first responder organizations and others for the pivotal role they can play in diffusing stressful situations and to aid in stress relief. Many area fire and police departments have therapy dogs on staff to protect the mental health of first responders, who experience a huge amount of stress and trauma. Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire said Toast will play an important role in the work they do in the community. "We are so very excited to bring our victim support dog, Toast, on board to enhance the support and services we provide to victims and survivors of crime in our community," said Gire. "The addition of our victim support dog fills a critical role in reducing the impact of trauma on those affected by crime. This resource has been planned for quite some time, and I am so proud of our team for making this a reality. We also greatly appreciate the support of our Placer County Board of Supervisors in this endeavor, and we can't wait to put Toast to work." Toast comes to the Placer County District Attorney's Office from All Stage Canine Development, Inc., a Citrus Heights-based canine training facility originally established in 2017. The owner of the facility provides a team of trainers that cater to the various needs of training facility/comfort canines for government agencies and nonprofit organizations. All Stage Canine Development has provided/trained crisis support canines to other law enforcement agencies in the region, including Butter, Roseville Police Department's beloved comfort canine, according to the Placer County DA's Office. A National Library of Medicine report recently cited that support dogs help reduce anxiety, heart rate and blood pressure in victims of trauma, especially children. Their presence has been shown to help victims testify and improve their emotional wellbeing throughout the legal process. The Placer County DA's office proudly posted several pictures of Toast as she reported for her first day on the job.