July 24, 2025

Media Relations Division
213-257-2000
media@da.lacounty.gov

District Attorney Hochman Swears in Office’s Second Generation Victim Services K-9 Teams

Miata, Johnnie, and Corbin are professionally trained to support crime victims, primarily children, in all 14 courthouses in Los Angeles County

LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman welcomed three new employees today — a Labrador retriever, standard poodle, and border collie/poodle mix professionally trained to support victims of sexual and physical abuse, domestic violence, and human trafficking; people with disabilities; and family members of homicide victims. Watch today’s news conference here.

“These K-9s are heroes of the DA’s Office, providing immeasurable strength and support to children and other vulnerable victims as they navigate the criminal justice system in the aftermath of horrific, life-altering crimes,” said District Attorney Hochman. “These four-legged friends support victims as they provide testimony that has been critical in many successful prosecutions. Just being able to pet a kind and calming canine can give strength to a witness who stands and testifies in court against their offender. We extend a heartfelt welcome to Miata, Johnnie and Corbin as they begin their career at LADA, ensuring our office can offer this invaluable service to crime victims for years to come.”

The K-9 teams consist of a facility dog and a specially trained Victim Services Representative who serves as the dog’s primary handler. LADA’s current K-9 Unit comprises Supervising Victim Services Representative Ashley Meyers and facility dog Skippy, Victim Services Representative Emyrene Coleman and facility dog Nora, and Victim Services Representative Paulina Bernard and facility dog Lennox. Each handler has been paired with a second-generation facility dog.

The District Attorney’s Office has produced a tribute video to the first-generation K-9 teams to spotlight their important service to victims over the last eight years.

Since the launch of the K-9 program in 2017, the teams have provided support to more than 1,625 victims and witnesses, ranging in age from 6 to 78. The teams have provided support to victims at all 14 courts in Los Angeles County. The teams also support children at child advocacy centers which conduct forensic interviews.

Two-thirds of the victims the unit supports are children.

To date, the K-9 teams have provided support and assistance to child and adult victims at:

• 700+ preliminary hearings and trials
• 82 sentencings where victims/survivors made impact statements
• 55 interviews of children for filing considerations
• 80+ meetings with prosecutors and child victims to prepare for preliminary hearings or trial

The unit also offers care to child witnesses of traumatic events, such as cases involving severe family violence or sexual abuse.

From 2017 to 2019, the unit provided support and comfort to over 100 human trafficking victims, all minors, at Edmund D. Edelman Children’s Court in Monterey Park.

First Responders

LADA’s K-9 teams have responded to six mass casualty shootings to provide trauma-informed assistance to victims, witnesses and their loved ones.

In October 2017, the K-9 teams responded to the Route 91 Harvest Festival shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada, where 60 people were killed and 413 people were injured. Most of those impacted were California residents. For 10 days, LADA’s K-9 Unit provided emotional support to victims, family members, nurses and other first responders.

After the Jan. 21, 2023, shooting at a ballroom dance studio in Monterey Park, LADA’s K-9 team was there to provide support and comfort to victims. Eleven people were killed, nine others were physically injured and more than 55 experienced emotional trauma while fleeing for their lives. As requested by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau, the K-9 team sat in on death notifications to next of kin and comforted family members in their time of need.

To learn more and request victim services, visit da.lacounty.gov/victims or contact the Bureau of Victim Services at (800) 380-3811.

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