(The Center Square) – The New Orleans District Attorney's Office is seeking $2,000 to care for Karissa, a black Labrador retriever who comforts crime victims and witnesses, bringing the office's expenses for the dog to more than $8,000 since 2023.

The proposed expenditure comes months after Louisiana lawmakers passed legislation expanding the use of specially trained facility dogs in courtrooms, a measure that was approved without a published fiscal note estimating its potential cost to taxpayers.

Karissa, who joined the Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office in 2023, is among a small number of facility dogs working in Louisiana's criminal justice system. Unlike some other jurisdictions, where judges or handlers personally cover the animals' expenses, the New Orleans office budgets money for Karissa's care.

According to budget documents submitted to the New Orleans City Council, the office spent $2,020 on its facility-dog program in 2023, $1,329 in 2024 and $1,355 in 2025. Revised expenditures for 2026 total $1,512, while the office is requesting $2,000 for 2027.

The combined actual expenditures and projected budgets total approximately $8,216 over five years.

In a statement, the district attorney's office said the latest request includes approximately $1,100 for veterinary care, up to $450 for food and training rewards, and additional money for grooming, supplies and materials needed to comply with new legislative requirements.

"The budget is a projection based on prior expenses and anticipated needs," the office said.

The office attributed the growing cost to inflation and rising veterinary expenses, noting that Karissa's veterinary costs increased approximately 28% between 2025 and 2026.

"Like so many goods and services across America, the cost of caring for and maintaining our facility dog has increased over the past year," the office said.

The DA's office described the spending as a grant-funded investment, although its publicly available budget does not specify which grant covers Karissa's expenses.

Karissa was provided free of charge by Canine Companions, a nonprofit organization that trains and places service and facility dogs throughout the country. The organization also provides follow-up training and support without charging recipients.

Other Louisiana jurisdictions have adopted different arrangements.

In East Baton Rouge Parish, Judge Louise Hines Myers of the 19th Judicial District Court personally pays for food and veterinary expenses for Diesel, the court's facility dog.

Similarly, the Third Judicial District Attorney's Office, which serves Lincoln and Union parishes, previously reported that its facility dog, Navy, was supported through private funds rather than taxpayer money.

Louisiana's new law, signed by Gov. Jeff Landry on June 2, expanded an existing statute governing the use of facility dogs during courtroom testimony.

House Bill 126, authored by state Rep. Mandie Landry, D-New Orleans, became Act 616 and took effect Aug. 1. It requires courts to allow witnesses testifying in sex-offense trials to be accompanied by a certified facility dog when one is available. The law had 36 co-authors.

The legislation, now known as "Duvall and Karissa's Law," also establishes procedures intended to prevent the dog's presence from influencing jurors, including requirements that the dog enter and leave the courtroom outside the jury's presence.

The law does not require courts or district attorneys to acquire facility dogs or establish a funding mechanism to cover their care.

Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams praised the legislation following its enactment, saying it would remove barriers for crime victims seeking support during testimony.

According to his office, Karissa has assisted in at least 27 trials and numerous preparation meetings with victims and witnesses.

"Karissa follows a strict care regimen to keep her healthy and prepared to support victims and witnesses," the office said. "This modest, grant-funded investment supports Karissa's health and her continued service to the people who depend on her."