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Denver, Colorado Local News

“He’s the most popular employee”: Boulder County recruits two new dogs in sheriff’s and DA’s offices

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Two dogs are among the newest government employees of Boulder County.

Ares, a 1½-year-old German Shepherd, is the newest K-9 recruit of the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office and Marlow, a 2-year-old golden retriever lab mix, is the most recent furry friend to be hired by the District Attorney’s office to help in victim services.

While the two dogs could not be more different in their jobs, they reflect the continued presence of K-9 support in law enforcement agencies.

‘He’s very good at comforting people’

Ares, who is currently going through the academy, is being trained for certification in patrol and narcotics detection. Meanwhile, Marlow helps victims and children feel more comfortable during trial proceedings.

“This building is a scary place, it’s got people a victim or witness don’t know, and people in suits who are going to be asking all these really tough questions about stuff they really don’t want to talk about if they had a choice, ” said Chris Merkle, a senior investigator at the DA’s Office. “Just to see the impact, these dogs can just take that edge off.”

Merkle’s work involves investigating cases in preparation for trial. Each investigation includes interviewing witnesses, victims and responders as to what they saw during the incident.

“We meet with them right before trial, kind of give them the logistics of trial and where and when they should show up. That’s often when Marlow is involved,” Merkle said. “A lot of times when you’re talking about the crime again and in the court, it brings up a lot of anxiety. He’s very good at comforting people.”

Investigator Chris Merkle and his dog Marlow have been working at the DA’s Office to provide support to victims, witnesses, and staff.(Cliff Grassmick/Staff Photographer)

Marlow, who has been with the office since April, is from the Canine Companion For Independence organization which provides “service dogs to adults, children and veterans with disabilities and facility dogs to professionals working in healthcare, criminal justice and educational settings,” according to its website. Their dogs are of no cost to the clients.

Merkle said Marlow was trained when they began working. But to ensure Marlow stays up to date on his training, they spend about five-to-10 minutes a day, reviewing.

Marlow’s responsibilities involve calming people down, bringing smiles to people’s faces and even dropping a tissue box in their laps if they need it.

The pup is trained to respond to both English and Spanish, and has the ability to open drawers, “boop” people to alert them, and rest his upper body or chin on someone to calm them. Marlow can also jump on furniture if needed, only barks on command and only goes to the bathroom when told to.

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Nicky Andrews

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