Courthouse Dogs

Courtrooms can be terrifying - for everyone. They are literally a place of judgment. And many people have to get up in front of other people and share intimate, horrific details. It’s like walking around without your skin on. Some of the most afraid are children who are witnesses to crimes or conflict and who then are asked to testify about those experiences in a courtroom. How do we help everyone be less afraid?

One brilliant solution in the early 2000s was to bring in creatures who bring comfort and whose immediate impact is to reduce anxiety. Since then, courts across the country are inviting “courthouse facility dogs” to accompany witnesses to the stand to help calm them and make the whole process easier. They lie quietly in the witness box and give their supportive presence as the witness shares their difficult story with the court, judge and jury.

Sources

New courthouse pup will be 1st of its kind in Maine

Houlton Courthouse dog is a gentle giant

Courthouse facility dog - Wikipedia

Canines Helping Out in the Courtroom | The Pew Charitable Trusts

Courthouse Canines: Therapy Dogs Take the Stand

Facility Dogs/Courthouse Support Dogs | Animal Legal & Historical Center