K9 C.A.R.E.S.

The K9 C.A.R.E.S (Canine Assisted Reduction of Eventful Stress) Victim Support program assists trauma victims recover in a unique and special way with the assistance of specially trained therapy dogs. This program’s passion is about helping people; its two-and four-legged teams who work in reaching the heart and soul of its victims by breaking down barriers to enable victims to work through emotional trauma towards recovery.

K9 C.A.R.E.S is working to become a recognized form of Animal-Assisted Therapy in both the law enforcement and Criminal justice settings; as well as introducing this program to police agencies and District Attorney offices across the country to help many more victims through the loving touch of our canine companions.

 One of the program’s great strengths is that it combines the skills of victim advocacy and animal-assisted therapy. Not only is the handler required to be a trained victim advocate but the canine team must also be a registered and experienced therapy dog team. This advanced program guides crisis response and crisis intervention with the compassionate assistance of highly trained canines. Our services are provided free of charge to our clients.

Our Mission:

The mission of K9 C.A.R.E.S. is to help people reduce their stress and start healing through the comfort and motivation of a specially trained dog and their trained Victim Advocate handler.

 Our Goals:

 Enhance the lives of people by promotion of the human-animal bond through animal-assisted advocacy

 Assist in providing emotional and moral support to victims

 Remove barriers that prevent involvement of animals in everyday life

 Expand and increase awareness of the positive affect animals can have on human health and development

 Demonstrate locally, statewide and nationally, the value of K9 C.A.R.E.S to criminal justice and law enforcement victim/witness services units

 About Carolyn:

 Carolyn Corbett is the founder of K9 C.A.R.E.S. Victim Support (Canine Assisted Reduction of Eventful Stress), the groundbreaking program in which specially trained canines work side-by-side with victim advocate volunteers who support and assist victims of traumatic events or crimes.

 For more than seven years, Carolyn worked to construct the C.A.R.E.S program after her work with the victims of the Columbine High School shooting in 1999, in which she received the “Columbine Police Service Ribbon” from the Jefferson County Sheriff Department. Although Carolyn had worked as a volunteer victim advocate of more than 10 years, Carolyn balanced the emotional investment of working in this position by passionately dedicating time to the intense training of her Golden Retrievers, Caitee and Tallulah, to become therapy dog teams. These two passions collided.

It is Carolyn’s deep understanding of the intricate personalities of both victims and dogs, that she knew how positively and effectively canines could help victims during and after traumatic events. Carolyn herself is a survivor of domestic violence. It was her Golden Retriever, Chelsea, who has since passed, who she credits in giving her the strength, confidence and the comfort and love she needed during court proceedings. Chelsea gave her the unconditional love for Carolyn to realize her self-worth and to turn what could have been a life-ending situation into an opportunity for empowerment and to positively affect the lives of others.

 Carolyn fiercely believed in her program and worked tirelessly to illustrate its importance and place in law enforcement. In 2007, C.A.R.E.S was officially recognized and approved by the City of Westminster and Westminster Police Department for integration into the Westminster Victims Services Unit, making it the one of the first of its kind in the country.

 Today, Carolyn acts as executive director and founder of K9 C.A.R.E.S, working to educate other criminal justice and law enforcement agencies throughout the country how to duplicate the K9 C.A.R.E.S Victim Support Program. Carolyn and Caitee, remain on-call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to assist at emergencies where the Westminster Victim Services Unit is on scene. Carolyn and Caitee have started a Pilot Program at the 17th Judicial District courts to assist victim/witnesses at various points through the criminal justice process. This human-canine team is also a member of the Jefferson/Gilpin Community Crisis Response Team to assist in any major event that may occur. Carolyn completed her licensure as a Delta Society Pet Partners Team Evaluator in 2008 and Instructor in 2009. The success and growth of K9 C.A.R.E.S. has led it to become a nonprofit organization as of July 1st, 2009.

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