Bringing Hope to Our Most Vulnerable
The girl wouldn’t go in.
Her father—her abuser—was seated just beyond the courtroom doors. Everyone was waiting for her to read her impact statement at his sentencing. But she stood frozen in the hallway, refusing to take that first step without a police dog at her side.
Detective Natalie Hone handed her K9 Lyle Hope’s leash, which the young girl took in her hand and walked inside.
“She took control and power back from her perpetrator that day,” says Detective Hone, reflecting on that moment. “Holding the leash was symbolic. She told me that with Lyle Hope’s leash in her hand and him lying at her feet, she felt empowered to face him in court.”
Detective Hone is the K9 handler for Lyle Hope, the San Diego Police Department’s first Child Advocate Companion Canine. Together, they form a unique duo in the Child Abuse Unit. Their job is simple: to comfort our most vulnerable victims—children who have experienced sexual and physical abuse—on their worst days.
The idea first took root in 2022 at the Women Leaders in Law Enforcement conference, which Detective Hone attended on scholarship from the San Diego Police Foundation’s Women in Blue Initiative. There, she sat in a session about facility dogs and learned how canines were helping sexual assault and child abuse victims, not only in courtrooms, but also in forensic interviews during the earliest stages of investigations.
Families often hesitate to participate in interviews that force them to relive horrific experiences. The trauma can leave a child too overwhelmed or anxious to talk or unwilling to continue with the investigation. Many of these cases stall out, leaving families without closure and offenders free to reoffend.
This was this challenge Detective Hone wanted to solve. She nurtured the idea and sought help from the San Diego Police Foundation, which funded the acquisition of K9 Lyle Hope—a golden retriever, trained by Next Step Service Dogs in partnership with Guide Dogs for the Blind. His placement was made possible through the generosity of community donors Dr. Catherine Rivier and Drs. Julie and Robert Novak.
In short, it took a village to bring Lyle Hope home.
Facility dogs are not pets. They are bred for composure, trained to think independently, and certified to work in courtrooms and forensic interviews. Lyle Hope knows more than forty commands, but his real gift is harder to measure: emotional support.
Since April 2023, Lyle Hope has worked on 15 families’ case investigations. He has also helped with numerous other hearings, trials, interviews, and even took part in a prayer vigil for SDPD’s fallen hero, Officer Austin Machitar.
“Since working with Lyle, I’ve seen children become braver during interviews, and parents who were hesitant at first now feel safe letting their child go into the room alone,” shares Detective Hone. “Without these important interviews, cases wouldn’t have been brought to justice. The program has given families a more positive experience with the Child Abuse Unit and increased our camaraderie with community partners.”
The program’s success has not gone unnoticed. Other units within the SDPD, such as the Sex Crimes Unit and Juvenile Service Team, have also requested Lyle Hope’s assistance with sensitive cases.
For all the comfort Lyle Hope gives others, his own needs are simple. After work, he sheds his vest, chases tennis balls, and plays fetch with Detective Hone’s daughters and husband, who is also a police officer. Detective Hone is also responsible for his care and ongoing certification, a “collateral duty” she juggles alongside her regular caseload.
It’s a lot. But she’s not complaining.
The day Lyle Hope helped that young girl walk into the courtroom was extraordinary, but not rare. He does that work every day: offering comfort and hope to victims and families when they need it most.
It is easy to see why the donors gave him his surname.
“Lyle Hope has given just that—HOPE in a time when we are all looking for it,” says Detective Hone. “He is a true service canine at heart, giving all of himself—and more if asked,” she says. “In a career where there are often no words to describe how you’re feeling, or times when you wonder how you’ll find the strength to keep going, it’s been a blessing to have a partner like him. At the end of the day, I can tell him, ‘Job well done,’ and all he has to do is rest his head on my lap and give me those puppy-dog eyes that say it all.”
Lyle Hope is just one of the over 130 dogs that have served the San Diego Police Department, thanks to funding from the San Diego Police Foundation and the generosity of community members.
Originally published in Giving Back Magazine