Local dog trainer gets FBI leadership award

Apr. 19—A local business that trains service dogs received a leadership award from the FBI, the bureau announced.

FBI Director Christopher Wray on Friday presented Assistance Dogs of the West with the FBI Director's Community Leadership Award. Jill Felice, the founder of the business, accepted the award.

"Our success as both a law enforcement and an intelligence agency hinges on our ability to foster and maintain genuine partnerships with people in all communities," Wray said in a statement.

Assistance Dogs of the West trains service dogs that are used in courthouses and other criminal justice settings to ease the stress felt by children and adult victims and others who are working in the system.

The FBI has a Victim Assistance Rapid Deployment Team, which uses canines that were trained by Assistance Dogs of the West, according to the FBI.

That unit has responded to mass shootings across the country.

"Over the years, I have had the privilege to witness the growth and stature that Assistance Dogs of the West has achieved through the dedication and creativity of each and every member of our staff," Felice said in a statement. "When our clients—whether individuals or agencies—present new needs and challenges, our team is committed to finding answers.

Wray hosted all of the DCLA winners at FBI headquarters.

"People like this year's Leadership Award recipients not only identify what others need, but they are willing to roll up their sleeves and provide services," he said. "They are building bridges and relationships while putting in the work to have hard conversations and find common purpose. They do it out of kindness and compassion with a sincere belief that justice — in its many forms — requires all of us to do the right thing in the right way."