Will County Drug Court adopts shelter dog as companion for residents of Miller Taylor House
April 17
State’s Attorney James Glasgow (from left), Animal Control Director Sarah Gimbel and Joliet Township Supervisor Dan Vera along with the dog that is being adopted by the Will County Drug Court to live with residents at the Miller Taylor House in Joliet.
JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced that the Will County Drug Court is giving a shelter dog some permanent and comfortable new digs at the Miller Taylor House in Joliet.
State’s Attorney Glasgow and Drug Court Coordinator Julie McCabe-Sterr recently completed the paperwork to adopt the female dog, a friendly Pointer/Labrador mix that was abandoned and found tied to a garbage bin in Joliet.
The dog, which has yet to be named, is estimated to be about 1-year-old. Joliet Elks Lodge #296 is partnering with the Drug Court and the State’s Attorney’s Office to sponsor a contest that will allow local students to name the dog.
The dog will be a companion to five men who live at the Miller Taylor House. They are recovering drug users who have kicked their addictions and are nearing the completion of the intensive Drug Court program. They all will participate in every aspect of the care of their new four-legged friend under the close supervision of a resident house manager.
“At the Miller Taylor House, the goal is to foster a sense of community and commitment that is necessary for participants to complete the Drug Court program and succeed on their own,” said State’s Attorney Glasgow. “This wonderful shelter dog will teach these men valuable lessons about personal responsibility, selflessness and kindness that will serve them well when they take the next steps in their lives. It is equally important that we are giving this great dog a safe, warm and happy home.”
Once the decision was made to bring a dog into the Miller Taylor House, State’s Attorney Glasgow’s first step was to contact Joliet Township Animal Control to inquire about the adoption process.
Cheri Johnson, his executive assistant and an expert in the care and handling of dogs, visited Animal Control with McCabe-Sterr and inspected all the dogs available for adoption. After a tour of the shelter, they settled on the Pointer/Labrador because of her sweet and gentle nature. Johnson trains Leader Dogs for the Blind and owns a Labrador Retriever that greets children at the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center as part of State’s Attorney Glasgow’s new Paws 4 Kids program.
The State’s Attorney thanked Joliet Township Supervisor Dan Vera for graciously waiving the pet adoption fees in the spirit of intergovernmental cooperation.
Glasgow knows first-hand about the joy dogs can bring to people’s lives. He and his family are the happy owners of two dogs, Hobbs, a Great Dane, and Xena, a Collie.
“There is a life-affirming bond between people and their pets,” the State’s Attorney said. “Our new dog will get a tremendous amount of love and affection from everyone at the Miller Taylor House. I know that she’ll give a lot of love and affection in return.”
Over the past 12 years, Will County Drug Court has helped more than 270 people struggling with addictions reclaim their lives and avoid criminal convictions. The Drug Court team, under the stewardship of Presiding Judge Carla Alessio Policandriotes and Coordinator Julie McCabe-Sterr, not only has helped people break their addictions, it has reunited broken families, restored people’s faith in God and returned them to their communities as productive, law-abiding citizens.