Mahoning County Prosecutor, Gina DeGenova is welcoming a new furry friend to her staff whose goal is to provide a bit of comfort to crime victims.

DeGenova adopted a 10-month-old golden retriever named Hope, who will be trained to serve as a comfort dog to assist victims and witnesses of crimes.

The prosecutor teamed up with with Jenny Falvey from Poland-based company, Dogsmartz Unleashed LLC, who was willing to train a rescue dog should a suitable one be located, asking humane agents and rescuers to keep their eyes open.

Shortly after Christmas, The Animal Welfare League of Trumbull County about 10-month-old golden retriever puppy, who was rescued on Christmas Eve by the Healthy Hearts and Paws project, who named her Hope.

Hope was delivered her to AWL, who released her to the dog pound where DeGenova adopted her on February 3. She's scheduled to begin training with Dogsmartz Unleashed to become a certified comfort dog.

"Often times, victims and witnesses of crimes are asked to relive stories of traumatic events multiple times during the pendency of a given case. My research has shown that comfort dogs successfully provide support during this stressful process," DeGenova said.

If you want more of Hope and updates on her training journey, you can follow her on her very own Instagram, @hopethecomfortdog.