Dogs Perform Civic Duty as Courtroom Companions

Across the country, dogs are adding legal work to their resumes. For all the same reasons that dogs are brought to hospitals, nursing homes, college campuses, and school reading programs, they are now helping out with witness testimonies. The non-judgmental comfort of a canine is helping child crime victims and witnesses get through the ordeal of appearing in court. 

Courthouse Dogs is credited with starting the trend, when a senior prosecuting attorney in Washington brought her son's service dog to work with her one day. Once Ellen O'Neill Stephens saw the calming effect he had, especially on young witnesses, the dog became a regular at pretrial interviews and courtroom testimony.

Kids often find it particularly difficult to discuss their trauma in front of adults, and the dogs give them someone on their side, someone who they feel understands them. "It's just amazing to see the smile on their faces and how much less stress they  have after playing with the dogs," says District Attorny Donna Hawkins, who works with the "Paws and Order: SDU" program in Harris County, Texas.

Although therapy dogs, which are pets who have passed a series of temperament and obedience tests, tend to take on the comforting jobs in hospitals and schools, courtroom dogs are typically service animals, who receive special training to perform certain tasks. They're not required to pick up things dropped by the judge, alert the bailiff when someone enters the court, or help witnesses safely cross the street, but they do need to be able to stay completely still during courtroom proceedings. Beyond being extremely well-socialized, they need to provide a calm, non-threatening presence.

This special set of skills provides another option for dogs who aren't cut out for other types of service work. Dogs who flunk out of service dog training centers are considered "career changed." A dog can "change careers" because he's too excitable, can't resist the temptation of squirrels when out on a leash, or any number of other typical dog behaviors. Most "career changed" dogs end up as well-trained pets. Working with the legal system provides another career option for these dogs, since they're not likely to run into any squirrels, or other potentially dangerous distractions, while they're working in the courtroom.

Leader Dogs for the Blind in Rochester, Michigan recently gave a dog — and his training, worth about $20,000 — to a southeast Michigan courthouse. His "career change" was due to a stubborn leash-pulling habit.

Courtroom dogs are currently performing their civic duty in California, Florida, Missouri, Michigan, Texas, and Washington. I'd love to see this trend expand, not just to other states, but to other witnesses, too. There are a lot of people who aren't minors who would benefit from some canine comfort when forced to rehash violent crimes or face their abusers in court.

Photo credit: Beverly & Pack