Allegheny County Sheriff's Office adds facility dog named Lassen

FOX CHAPEL, Pa. (KDKA) — A four-legged member of the Allegheny County Sheriff's Office is making a positive impact.

Lassen, a golden retriever and labrador mix, is an important member of the Allegheny County Sheriff's Office. As a facility dog, his main duty is to help children and adults in the family and mental health courts.

"It's designed for him to provide comfort to people coming through the court process," Allegheny County Sheriff Kevin Kraus said.

Deputy Emily Irwin came up with the idea of a facility dog for the courts a year ago, and after researching the benefits, she asked Kraus if Allegheny County could add Lassen to the team.

"I thought that it would be a great idea to have some sort of comfort and support throughout the entire court system," Irwin said. "A lot of times, cases get dropped because people are afraid to come to court to testify."

Judge Beth Lazzara has Lassen come to her mental health courts every Monday, saying he makes every person in the courtroom calm down.

Lassen also joins in to give out awards for good deeds in mental health courts and celebrates when people graduate treatment plans.

"The feedback has been tremendous," Kraus said. "He seems to be a pretty big hit. We are glad we can provide that service for the courts, as well as Allegheny County."