Exceeding Expectations Everyday

Below is an account by Officer Adam Keesee, Sherwood Police Department

"On Monday, April 1st, 2019 I responded to an assault call that occurred the previous night. After contacting the victim, I discovered that she had actually been strangled. After some discussion, she agreed to meet me at the Police Department for a face to face interview.

Once she arrived, I explained that I was going to ask some difficult questions and then I would need to take pictures of her injuries. This setting is never easy for anyone. Especially the victim of something as intimate and terrifying as being strangled.

As we conversed, I could see that the victim was periodically holding in her emotions. Certain questions and recollections would cause her voice to change, delay her responses, her eyes to look away and I could see her swallowing the lump in her throat. She was trying her best to remain even keel.

Then randomly, Mila entered the room. I could hear her coming down the hallway, but it didn't even register. As we're all used you hearing her pads on the carpet as she bumbles around the office. Mila trotted into the room, bypassed me and went straight over to my victim. Without any coaxing or commands, Mila up and plopped her head on my victim's leg.

It took a second for me to notice what she was doing, as I was explaining who Mila was and her purpose here with the Police Department. My victim disengaged in the conversation, leaned over and was giving Mila scratches behind her ears. As I finished explaining why Mila was there and the comfort that she's supposed to bring to people that have experienced incidents like hers, my victim sat back up and stated with tears in her eyes "It's working."

Mila left the room, re-entered at one point and then trotted off for good. It actually only took a few seconds of interaction for Mila to have a huge impact on my victim and her ability to get through the interview process. In the end, it made it easier to do my job as well.

Thanks Mila!"