22 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY DECEMBER 4-10, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com splitting her off-work time at home with them about 80/20 (at Reed’s, he shares the home with two older, small dogs). Norma Jeane reports to McGuirk but mostly to Victim Services Manager Alma Sanchez. She lives at home with McGuirk—plus four cats, one of which was rescued from the DA’s Office parking lot, and two other dogs. “When she puts on her work uniform and she changes her entire demeanor,” McGuirk says. In the vest, she’s highly disciplined—after the command “Release” at the end of the day, “she is relaxed and playful and goofy, and sometimes won’t listen to me when she is playing with the other dogs in the yard. When she’s at home, she’s a pet. If I left a stuck of butter uncovered on the counter, she would eat it.” Armani and Norma Jeane start their workday in the DA’s Office in Salinas with loving greetings for the staff, accompanied by a box full of toys and two large beds, as they wait for their time to shine if they are needed. On one recent morning at office, survivors of crime arrive for their day in court, getting ready to walk over to Monterey County Superior Court. Norma Jeane is a little more energetic than Armani, but both comfort the victim while they wait to be called to the stand. Armani rushes into the room, tail wagging and quickly gets pets. Armani jumps onto the couch and gently rests his head on the victim’s leg while getting pets. “The dogs help give support and comfort a human can’t,” McGuirk explains. “I can’t reach across the couch and hug or embrace a child victim, but Norma Jeane can rest her head on the child’s lap and give them the reassurance that another human can’t.” The victims and witnesses the dogs interact with are confidential, and even the jury in a courtroom does not know they are there. The DA must file a motion with a judge to bring a service dog into the courtroom, and even then, the animal can only enter and exit out When a victim testifies in court, Armani may sit at their feet to help comfort them. The dogs are hidden from the jury to prevent any potential bias. Nichole Reed, administrative assistant to the DA, works with Armani during a training session. Armani started working for the DA’s Office in 2024.
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