Comfort dog program would help children
Children whose parents had to be in court one July afternoon were treated to a rare visit from Snickelfritz and Curleymac, two poodles.
The dogs' owner, Nancy Slezak, hopes such visits will become a regular routine to comfort children required by state law to be in court for issues such as child custody.
Butler County doesn't officially have a comfort dog program, according to the Office of Children & Families in the Courts.
Created by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, the organization aims to minimize the trauma children may experience in dependency court.
Locally, canine volunteers and their handlers occasionally are called in for specific cases with children, but an effort is under way to formalize the process.
Statewide, there are 24 counties with formal dog therapy programs in local court systems.
Butler County is close to establishing its own program thanks to the efforts of Judge Kelley Streib; court personnel like Cori Dunn, a juvenile hearing court officer; and caseworkers with Children & Youth Services. The program would work with the support of the Butler County Sheriff Office's K-9 team and use five canines as comfort dogs, known as the K-9 Council.
In neighboring counties such as Venango and Clarion, comfort dogs often are used in courthouses. Several judges from various counties interviewed for this story all hailed the impact of dogs in courts as a positive experience.
“In cases where kids have suffered abuse or neglect, there's already been trauma and the last thing we want to do is to inflict more trauma,” said Sandra Moore, director of the Office of Children & Families in the Courts.
Moore supports the presence of dogs in court, noting how dogs are able to alleviate situations and help set children at ease.“It's a great program, and I highly recommend it for any county that isn't utilizing it,” said Philadelphia Judge Walter Olszewski, who has been on the bench for 15 years. “It's been so good for the children and families, but honestly, it has had such an impact on lawyers and our staff, and we found it so helpful that we wanted to expand it.”In Lycoming County, a Labrador-golden retriever mix named Jedi is on duty full time as a facility dog, according to Judge Joy McCoy, who helped create the dog program there. McCoy said Jedi's priority is to comfort children dealing with custody issues.Jedi also is used in juvenile delinquent cases. Often, the dog's presence serves as a reward for minors who are cooperating in their case.McCoy said the court recently started using the comfort dog in adult criminal cases in which a victim, often a sexual assault victim, must testify in front of a jury.
Officials with Butler County's Children & Youth Services and juvenile court system, which handle cases involving minors in trouble with the law, say they are working together to create a more child-friendly environment in the county's government building. The effort includes the creation of a dependable dog service.“It could be a really stressful environment for the kids. They may be seeing their parents, who they haven't seen for a while, for a custody hearing. It's not a real friendly environment,” said Cathryn Heakins, a program specialist with Children & Youth Services. “And we're working on that and this is one of the ways.”Along with Snickelfritz and Curleymac, the Butler County Courthouse occasionally gets a visit from Sunny, a 4-year-old golden retriever, and its owner, retired school superintendent John Osheka. The pair is part of the Butler County K-9 Unit's team.Like Snickelfritz and Curleymac, Sunny is certified by Therapy Dogs International, a volunteer organization that regulates, tests and registers therapy dogs and their volunteer handlers for the purpose of visiting nursing homes, hospitals and other institutions in need of the services of a furry friend.
So far this year, Sunny and Osheka have made about eight or nine visits to the courthouse to comfort children.Osheka hopes communication between caseworkers and court staff improves as the program develops and becomes more formalized.“That's one of the problems. We're trying to build a communication network,” Osheka said. “Having these dogs around the kids, you see the effect. It's incredible.Slezak noted she is available regularly for court visits. Officials with Children & Youth Services said they are aware of the challenges.“Scheduling has always been a challenge. It's not happening as quickly as everyone has wanted it to be,” Heakins said. “The caseworkers are so busy. They want the service for their kids, but they're doing a thousand different things and they might not remember to let the dog owners know.”Slezak said she understands caseworkers might have other, more important issues to take care of, but hopes to find a way to get them to think about therapy dogs as a resource more often. While some people are nervous at first, just touching the dog calms them down.“I think there's real value. First, it allows the child and the adult to think about other things, directs their mind to something more pleasant, and allows them to be at ease,” Slezak said. “Children like to play, and one of the nicest things we do is just that — play.”
Along with bringing four-legged visitors for children, Dunn looks to bring a mural and inspirational quotes to the basement walls of the county's government building, where juvenile court is held. Dunn has even set aside a room near juvenile court where children can go to relax.In addition to the furniture being more comfortable, Dunn said staff has treats and toys for the kids. The goal is to help children feel a little more relaxed.“When they come to the court, it's such a stressful situation for them. My goal is to make it as friendly and relaxing as possible, given the circumstances,” Dunn said. “The dogs seem to work really well when they're here with the kids.”In conjunction with the dogs, she hopes to create a warmer environment. She said the children enjoy having the dog there to pet because it gives them something to focus on during difficult situations.“It certainly gives them some comfort,” Dunn said, adding that “it's the interaction and how we treat them. Being respectful with them, friendly and interacting with the kids.”
