What This Story Is About
- Berto, a facility dog who worked with vulnerable witnesses and crime victims for the 7th Judicial District Attorney General’s Office in Anderson County, Tennessee, died Oct. 21, 2026, following an illness.
Why It Matters
- Defendants in cases Berto worked on received hundreds of years of combined prison time, which the office says helped make Anderson County safer from repeat offenders.
For Context
- A Tennessee law passed in April 2025 expanded the use of facility dogs in courtrooms statewide, building on programs like the one Berto served in Anderson County.
Catch Up
- Berto previously helped a child abuse victim speak for the first time about her trauma, testimony that helped secure a 120-year sentence for her abuser.
CLINTON, Tenn. — Berto, a facility dog who worked with witnesses and victims for the 7th Judicial District Attorney General’s Office, died Oct. 21 following an illness, according to District Attorney General Dave Clark.
Clark announced Berto’s death in a social media post, saying the dog went through two years of training and preparation before beginning his work with the office.
“He made it possible for traumatized persons to participate in the criminal justice process in ways they couldn’t without him,” Clark said. “He distributed non-judgmental love and support to so many Anderson Countians in their darkest moments.”…