WINSTON WEEKLY^[1]

March 8, 2026

Vol. 4, No. 10

COURTHOUSE COMFORT[2]

Golden and Labrador retrievers are particularly suited for comforting anxious or traumatized individuals. Known as “facility dogs,” they are specially trained from puppyhood for a minimum of two years. From placing their head in one’s lap to giving someone a gentle nudge, facility dogs provide witnesses with much-needed safety and security.

Through the Courthouse Dogs Foundation and countless others, more than 375 facility dogs serve in forty-one states. The Foundation’s mission “is to promote justice with compassion through the use of specially trained facility dogs to provide emotional support to everyone in the justice system.” Inspired by her dog, Jeeter, Seattle, Washington drug prosecutor Ellen O’Neill-Stephen experienced the pivotal role Jeeter played with at-risk children and individuals recovering from substance abuse. Through the Courthouse Dogs Foundation, she secured a grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs, Department of Justice. The grant allowed the Foundation to create a manual in collaboration with the Western Regional Children’s Advocacy Center, Facility Dogs at Children’s Advocacy Centers and in Legal Proceedings.

The manual provides a framework for creating a facility dog program. Serving courthouses and child advocacy centers, the primary handler works with the dog most of the day and provides the dog with a loving home. Secondary handlers may include a psychologist, a therapist, or a forensic interview specialist working with the dog for a specific task such as a witness interview. One forensic interviewer explained in part, “Although Nanook does not talk, he is a conversation starter. Chatting about him allows me to gradually ease into the forensic interview process…. In addition to talking with children about the importance of telling the truth and correcting me if I make a mistake, I also ask them to let me know if Nanook invades their personal space too much or if his snoring bothers them.” 

WEEKLY ACTIVITY

Take the time to read the manual developed by the Courthouse Dogs Foundation. It provides a unique perspective of empathy and compassion in the justice system, the role of the courts, and the many individuals involved in the process.

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[1] A weekly blog/newsletter by Alysen Bayles to be shared with the appropriate attribute.

[2] Resources: Rebecca Wallick, Dogs in the Courtroom, The Bark (July 2018), https://tinyurl.com/ycmxzlc8; http://courthousedogs.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Facility-Dogs-at-CACs-Best-Practices-Final-2-18-15.pdf.