August 15, 2024
According to the Courthouse Dogs Foundation, “Courthouse facility dogs are professionally trained dogs working throughout the country in prosecutor’s offices, child advocacy centers, and family courts. They primarily provide a calming influence for children during stressful legal proceedings.”
Dogs benefits include reducing blood pressure and stress, having a calming effect, and providing comfort. They have more roles in society besides being a loyal companion. They can be service dogs that assist people with disabilities, such as those with visual impairment. Dogs can also be trained to detect narcotics or bombs, abnormal blood sugar levels in those with diabetes, and more recently cancer.
Assistance roles for dogs include:
- Emotional support dogs—those that provide support through companionship and can help ease anxiety, depression, and phobias.
- Service dogs—ADA defines service animals as trained dogs to work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.
- Facility dogs—trained in specific tasks to work alongside professionals.
- Therapy dogs—certified pet dogs that provide comfort.
Courts benefit from the use of facility dogs. An earlier Tending Topics covered how two counties in Maryland incorporated facility dogs to help “ease the emotional distress of child witnesses with facility dogs or therapy dogs trained by qualified organizations.” Trends in State Courts 2021 detailed the types of dogs being used and the benefits and concerns of having a dog in the courtroom.
We have seen an increase in the use of facility dogs. Recently 7 new therapy dogs were sworn in at the DeKalb County Courthouse, Georgia. They work comforting crime victims during interviews and testimonies. “DeKalb County Courthouse is the first in the state to welcome therapy dogs through its doors.” The program partners with CAREing Paws.
Lebanon County, Pennsylvania requested that the Lebanon County Commissioners apply for a court facility dog program to be part of the group of Pennsylvania’s courts that already have one in place. The purpose of the program is to assist individuals at treatment courts and during visits with probation officers. Attendees of the 2023 MAACM Annual Conference were able to meet Stormy, the black lab/golden retriever mix who provides comfort and anxiety reduction for individuals appearing in Chester County. The Greene Juvenile Court welcomed its newest staff member, Coalbie, a 17-month-old beagle mix. Coalbie has received obedience and therapy training and will be working as a therapy dog providing support to children during court proceedings.
Over the last 10 years, the 17th Circuit Therapy Dogs program in Rockford, Illinois has grown from 1 dog to 24, but the program is looking for more dogs to add to their crew because demand is increasing, according to Bruce Erickson, program founder.
Is your court using or planning to use facility dogs? Email us at Knowledge@ncsc.org or call 800-616-6164 and let us know. Follow the National Center for State Courts on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and Vimeo. For more Trending Topics posts, visit ncsc.org/trendingtopics and subscribe to the LinkedIn newsletter.