Considerations for Using a Courthouse Facility Dog to Assist with Your Case.

• Author: Dawson, Gary S.

GOING TO COURT AND TESTIFYING is a stressful experience. For child victims and other victims of interpersonal or violent crimes, the stress and anxiety is worse. (1) A relatively common comment from victims is that the system (and testifying in particular) makes them feel re-victimized.

Those victims' experiences caused me to try using a dog to assist a victim testifying in court for the first time in Colorado in 2012. My victim was a 9 year-old child, testifying against her father. In fact, this was the second time she had to testify against him, because the first jury could not reach a verdict. During the first trial, although she and I had a good rapport and I had introduced her to the process a number of times, she could not testify in front of her father without several breaks, and her answers, when she gave them, were preceded by very long pauses. Still, when she wanted to do the right thing and testify again, I knew I had to do something to make this less traumatic.

Enter Maddie (2) and Pella. (3) Two, friendly, beautiful souls who just happen to be dogs who accompany witnesses to the stand.

Maddie accompanied my victim at the second trial, and this time she made it through her testimony with no breaks and even fewer pauses.

Pella, who began her career with the Aurora Police Department but came with her handler to the District Attorney's Office in 2015, has participated in over 300 forensice interviews, over 200 victim meetings, and has accompanied a dozen victims at trial, both children and adults.

So, you like the idea of a dog in court? Great, but, you may be saying, my judge and or defense counsel will never allow it. But, by following some guidelines and best practices, you may be able to convince them.

1. BEST PRACTICES

   An excellent place to start for an office interested in using a dog in court should go to the Courthouse Dogs[R] Foundation website, courthousedogs.org. They are an invaluable resource.

   The dog should be a graduate from an accredited assistance dog school, accredited by Assistance Dogs International. (4) Although all graduating dogs get training as service dogs, a facility dog is a dog whose handler has no disability and whose primary function is to work in a specific location.

   This is an important consideration related to acquiring a dog for several reasons. A dog from an accredited organization means the dog has been properly trained. I have observed other "court therapy" dogs and the dogs can't stand, much...