COURTHOUSE DOGS FOUNDATION
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Mission Statement
The mission of Courthouse Dogs Foundation is to promote justice with compassion through the use of professionally trained facility dogs to provide emotional support to everyone in the justice system. Most of these dogs are utilized to support children who have been victims of abuse, helping them feel safe enough to talk with a detective or testify in court. A courthouse facility dog is a professionally trained dog that is placed with a legal professional for the purpose of providing emotional support to individuals in the criminal justice system. Handlers of courthouse dogs may be prosecuting attorneys, law enforcement officers, forensic interviewers, or victim advocates. The dog usually works at a child advocacy center or at a courthouse. In these settings, a courthouse dog may work with victims, witnesses, and other individuals who have been affected by crime.
About This Cause
As an independent nonprofit organization, Courthouse Dogs Foundation promotes justice with compassion by advocating for the use of professionally trained facility dogs handled by criminal justice professionals to provide emotional comfort to everyone in the legal system. We accomplish this mission by: • Educating members of the public and legal professionals about the benefits of having a courthouse facility dog assist them in their work • Guiding governmental agencies (prosecutor offices and law enforcement agencies) and nonprofit organizations (child advocacy centers and victim advocacy groups) in program development using a best practices model • Supporting nonprofit service dog organizations that train and place courthouse dogs • Encouraging and facilitating scientific research on the use of courthouse dogs Most of the vulnerable people served by courthouse facility dogs are children that have been sexually assaulted or witnessed violent offenses, victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, elder abuse and exploitation and veterans, drug addicts, and the mentally ill participating in treatment courts. Courthouse facility dogs accompany vulnerable individuals during interviews and courtroom proceedings. By reducing the stress of the individual, the dog allows the person to more clearly tell about what has happened to them or what they have witnessed. The presence of a courthouse facility dog reduces the secondary trauma that these children and other vulnerable people undergo while reliving terrible things in the interview room or the courtroom.