On Friday, the Johnston County District Attorney’s Office introduced “Teghan”, the State of North Carolina’s first courthouse facility dog fully funded by local businesses.
The District Attorney’s Office partnered with business leaders throughout the county to purchase Teghan from Knight GoldenDoodles in Clayton. Local businesses have also contributed funds to cover the cost of the training provided by Kronos K-9.
Assistant District Attorney Jordan Ford will be Teghan’s primary caretaker.
“We are overwhelmed by the tremendous amount of community support we have received in our efforts to make Teghan a part of our office family. We will be forever grateful to the local businesses that have allowed us to turn this dream into a reality for the citizens of Johnston County,” stated District Attorney Susan Doyle.
“Teghan will be trained to provide assistance to victims and witnesses as they navigate every phase of the criminal justice system in Johnston County. Children, in particular, will benefit from Teghan’s ability to provide emotional support as they confront the tragic details of abuse they have suffered in the past. We hope Teghan can help our office promote justice through compassion by providing comfort and lots of love to those in need,” Doyle said.
Johnston County’s first courthouse facility dog is named “Teghan” in memory of Teghan Skiba, the four-year-old tortured and murdered by Jonathan Richardson in 2010. Richardson is currently on death row in Central Prison. “After much discussion in our office and with the blessing of Teghan Skiba’s grandparents, we could think of no better way to honor her memory than by naming our newest addition Teghan”, added Doyle.
