Roanoke County deputy highlights K9 Liberty’s role in reentry work and school visits

Deputy Ethan Sweeney, the reentry coordinator at the Roanoke County Sheriff's Office, described how K9 Liberty supports the office’s work in courts, schools and community outreach and said a state-funded grant paid for much of the dog’s training.

Sweeney said the reentry program focuses on helping people returning from custody secure identification, housing and substance-use treatment — practical needs he said make a tangible difference in people’s lives. “I am the reentry coordinator here, so that's all about reintegrating inmates back into society,” he said.

He introduced K9 Liberty — known around schools as Lib or Libby — as a support canine currently used in the court system and in local schools. “So she is a support canine, she's gonna be ideally a therapy dog,” Sweeney said, adding that Liberty has visited special-education classrooms. He described the dog’s demeanor as calming and said her presence consistently brightens people’s moods: “You can't have, you can be frowning when she shows up, but by the time that she leaves you won't be.”

Sweeney said the majority of Liberty’s training was covered by a state-funded grant for therapy and support dogs administered through the state of Virginia, with additional training provided locally. He noted Liberty was very young when acquired — “at 4 months” — and that ongoing local training has continued since then.

The deputy also mentioned he had been named to a “40 Under 40” list, calling the recognition “surprising and humbling.” He said he has worked with the agency for six years and in the reentry role for about one and a half years.

Sweeney framed the K9 program as a practical extension of the county’s reentry and outreach efforts rather than a standalone initiative, saying the sheriff’s office intends to continue the service to sustain the program’s community benefits. No formal vote or action was recorded during the remarks.