In This Florida Court, Here Comes the Dog

An innovative program that puts dogs in the courtroom to help children during difficult family court cases is yielding very real progress.

The program, begun in 2012, aids children 18 and younger who are involved in the dependency-foster care system in Florida’s Palm Beach County. The program is funded by volunteers who want to help children and give back to their communities.

When Samantha, 9, and Sara, 7, had to appear in court to testify against their drug-addict mother, for example, they didn’t want to talk to anyone. Their mother had told them previously not to speak to any police officers — and their mom, who could be extremely abusive, often slept with pimps in exchange for drugs.

The sisters (whose last names were not revealed for privacy reasons) didn’t attend school regularly and were often left on their own. Talking to a judge was frightening for them.

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“For most people, testifying in a courthouse can be intimidating,” said Jennifer Lea Gardner, an attorney with the Foster Children’s Project, a division of the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County in Florida. “For children, testifying in court can be overwhelming.”

By the time they saw the bailiff, Sara and Samantha were hysterical. When asked if they were afraid of dogs, they said “yes.”

“Some of the kids have no experience with dogs, but the dogs are trained not to approach the children,” Gardner said. “They’re calm and only get close when the kids give their permission. In this case, I worked with Pearl, an American pit bull terrier.”

Sara and Samantha were curious when they first saw Pearl, and he quickly won them over.

“They were able to relax and open up when he was near them,” Gardner said. “He’s extremely gentle.”

The Canine Effect
Gardner is often amazed by the affects the dogs have on the children.

“We had two brothers who couldn’t ride in the same car with one another,” she said. “They were just three years apart in age and couldn’t be further apart in everything else. They were a danger to each other, but Orla, a 9-year-old golden retriever, was a link that calmed them down.”

The boys were abused and had bipolar issues. Orla allowed them to be in the same room without harming one another. The attorneys like having the dogs in the courtroom as well because their presence keeps everyone calm.

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Gardener represents children ages 12 and under.

“At that time, there were a few judges who didn’t want dogs in their courtrooms,” she said.

She was involved because the judge and general magistrate who started the program knew that she loved animals. She spends her weekends doing rescue work.

“Everyone has been won over by the success of the program,” Gardner said. “We have 15 therapy dogs available in all of our dependency courtrooms.”

Volunteer Effort
The program is supported by volunteers, and the dogs get extensive training.

“It’s not easy making the cut,” Gardner said.

She knows people living in multiple dog households where one dog is in the program and the other isn’t because that dog may be too hyperactive.

Similar programs are held in other courthouses throughout the United States and in other countries. All the dogs in these programs graduate from accredited service organizations that train them. The amount of training varies and depends on the nonprofit involved.

Some of the handlers refer to the dogs as therapy dogs, while others use the term “facility” dogs. According to the Assistance Dogs International’s website, “A facility dog is not a service dog, as it does not assist a person with a disability, nor does it have public access.”

In all cases, people who work with these dogs in courtroom situations have found that they are beneficial to the children testifying, the lawyers, judges, and others handling these trials.