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“We’ve not had problems with these children melting
down, or not being able to communicate. I can’t say
that every child who has a dog companion in court is
perfectly calm and happy, but it helps them function
well. These comfort animals are there to smooth out
the rough edges.”
Started in 2018 as a pilot project for the state, the
program passed through the Maryland legislature and
is now available to all counties. To date,
Harford and Montgomery counties have
adopted it. The pandemic slowed the process, Klavans said.
Dogs must be requested by attorneys,
social workers or family members, and
are drawn from a cadre of animals that
have been trained, certified nationally as
therapy dogs and screened by the court before passing muster. Walk-throughs of the
building acclimate the dogs to the setting.
“They come through the judicial corridors en masse, to familiarize themselves,”
Klavans said. “Some judges don’t want the
dogs to leave their chambers; it’s a break
from our serious routine. I wouldn’t be
surprised if there were Milk-Bones around
here.”
Dogs must be leashed at all times by
their owners, volunteers who are bound by
confidentiality measures.
In 2018, four dogs saw duty in the Anne
Arundel program; a year later, 14 were
summoned. Since COVID-19, only six have
taken part, but Klavans expects an uptick
in numbers.
“Even in its minimum scope, it has been
a very successful program,” he said. “So far, the number
[of dogs] outstrips demand, but feedback has been
great. There has been absolutely no downside.”
Currently, the program numbers 8 to 10 dogs, who
range in size from a French bulldog to a mastiff. One
is Lucy Lu, a 13-year-old goldendoodle who has helped
soften the setting in several circuit court proceedings.
One was a custody case in which the dog accompanied
a 9-year-old into a room to meet the girl’s father, whom
the child hadn’t seen in several years.
“When Lucy sat next to her, the girl’s nervousness
disappeared,” said Gerry Mathews, the dog’s owner.
“Within 5 or 10 minutes, you saw the stress fade away.
What was to be a 20-minute interview turned into an
hour. At one point, the child took off her sandal and
stroked Lucy with her foot.”
Another time, the dog took part in a home invasion
case in which a trauma victim, 13, shared details of the
robbery.
“The girl told how she can no longer be alone and
has to lock herself in her room. All the while, she was
petting Lucy,” Mathews said. “When she was done and
we sat down, [the defendant] gave his statement, which
contradicted hers. I could see her filling with hurt, so I
prompted Lucy to stand and put her head in the girl’s
lap. A bit of that anger faded away.”
During the 2021 Capital Gazette trial, in which five
employees of the Annapolis newspaper were murdered,
COURTESY OF GERRY MATHEWS
“When Lucy sat
next to her, the
girl’s nervousness
disappeared.
Within 5 or 10
minutes, you saw
the stress fade
away.”
— Gerry Mathews,
Lucy Lu’s owner
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