Paws in Court
Have you ever had to walk into a courtroom, get onto the witness stand, swear to tell the truth, and then sit down and tell a judge or jury details about something bad that happened to you? Was it a scary experience? Sure it was! Now imagine having to go through that as a young child. Most people who have ever had to live through such an experience will tell you that it was one of the most nerve-wracking experiences of their lives. Child abuse victims are often frightened and intimidated if they have to testify about their experience in front of a judge or jury. Fortunately, many jurisdictions now have the assistance of what is a growing practice in courthouses across the U.S. – the use of a “comfort dog.” While most of us think of the term “working dogs” as service animals for the disabled, police dogs, or military working dogs, dogs can also be trained to be “courthous...