A special kind of retirement ceremony was held in Penticton this June for an important member of the judicial system in the South Okanagan.
On June 6, a celebration was held for Calypso, a nine-year-old lab-golden retriever cross, as she entered into a well-deserved retirement.
For the past six years, Calypso has worked with Dede Dacyck, manager of the Penticton RCMP victim assistance program, to provide emotional support and comfort to victims and witnesses in stressful situations like interviews with lawyers or testifying in court.
Calypso is an accredited facility dog (AFD) who is trained and certified to help community care professionals in their work.
When she began working with Dacyck in 2016, she was the first AFD to join the RCMP victim services program in BC.
Staff at the Penticton courthouse organized the retirement ceremony and local sherifs made a dog cake for the canine guests while Calypso’s human colleagues got dog-themed cupcakes.
“We will miss Calypso; she had a knack, like many dogs, for sniffing out anxiety, making eye contact, and letting the person know things would be okay,” said Judge Gregory Koturbash in his tribute to the retiree.
Koturbash said that when people come to court, it can be extremely stressful when they are facing incarceration, testifying about intimate personal events, dealing with the possibility of losing their children or seeing the end of their marriage.
Koturbash added that Calypso brought a measure of calm and reassurance to people who needed it.
“Dogs like Calpyso do not change the outcomes in cases, but in dire situations they can make the experience less intimidating and more human. And even if only in a very small way we can improve the experience for our litigants, that is a win,” added Koturbash.
“You were born a service dog, but are retired a friend to us all. We wish you many happy tails.”
