GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Three Kent County courts will begin using support dogs to help comfort children and vulnerable adults who are called to testify.
“There’s something about being able to sit there and pet a dog and just kind of look at the dog who’s looking at you with unconditional love,’’ Kent County Circuit Court Judge Kathleen Feeney said. “We’re talking about victims of crime here. They have already been traumatized.’’
Proponents say having a specially-trained dog in the courtroom will make it a less trying experience for witnesses already under a great deal of stress.
Gov. Rick Snyder in June signed a bill allowing the use of courtroom support dogs. They can be used when a child, vulnerable adult and those with cognitive impairments are called to testify.
All parties involved, notably the prosecutor and the defense attorney, have to sign off on having a support dog in the courtroom. Objections can be addressed as they arise, Feeney said.
If support dogs are used at trial, jurors will be told “don’t read anything into the fact that there was a dog in the courtroom,’’ Feeney said.
“We’re fashioning our program off of other programs that are tried and true; they have been in place for years,’’ Feeney said. “The appellate courts have found no problems with it.’’
Feeney, who is assigned to the Family Division of Kent County Circuit Court, said she expects the dogs will be used in some civil proceedings, such as divorce cases, but anticipates most of the time it will be criminal cases.
“We have just an enormous amount of criminal sexual conduct cases involving children,’’ Feeney said. “Both adults perpetrating on children and children perpetrating on children. And so, we’ll be using them primarily for that.’’
Several of the support dogs arrived at 63rd District Court in Grand Rapids Township on Wednesday to participate in yet another courtroom training exercise. Judge Jeffrey O’Hara played the role of witness, petting each of the dogs that sat beside him.
“Now to the handlers, when your dog is up here, your job is to be invisible,’’ O'Hara told dog owners. “As a handler, you’re just to sit there to always keep your dog leashed. The child will be answering questions, but also oftentimes just looking at the dog.’’
Animals to be used in Kent County courtrooms are provided by West Michigan Therapy Dogs, an organization launched in 2001. More than 400 dogs are involved in the program, but only 22 specially-trained dogs will be available for courtroom appearances.
Co-founder Jeannie Lewis says the presence of a support dog makes it easier for vulnerable witnesses to testify.
“The witness is much more relaxed, they’re calmer and they’re much more apt to give accurate testimony as opposed to skipping things,’’ Lewis said. “They’re just more relaxed, so you’re going to get a more truthful, more accurate description of what happened.’’
The 22 support dogs being used in Kent County run the gamut, she said.
“We have everything from Airedales to Yorkies,’’ Lewis said. “And everything in between. We’ve got big dogs, little dogs, mutts and purebreds.’’
Support dogs will initially be used in 61st and 63rd district courts and in Kent County Circuit Court. Feeney said she would like to see the program expand to other district courts in Kent County “once we have it up and running for a while and get the bugs worked out.’’
Feeney, who worked on the program with Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker, said it is modelled after one in Florida that has been in place for more than a decade.
“We’ve had kids go with their stuffed animals and blankets,’’ Feeney said. “It’s the same sort of thing with a living, breathing animal that’s warm and soft and going to sit there and love being petted.’’
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