It can be stressful to go to court.
Especially for some younger people who have been traumatized.
Dogs in a courtroom is not something you see every day but it's an idea that has proven to help young victims, all over the nation, take the stand.
"Traditionally that has been that, 'oh my gosh' we're going to have animals in the courtroom and who wants to do that, but it has been done in other places and you're seeing the positive effects," said County Prosecutor Chris Becker.
Going to court can be stressful for anyone, but Kent County's courthouse therapy dog program's goal is to alleviate some of that stress, providing a welcoming distraction for young, vulnerable witnesses.
"Our idea is two-fold. One the physiological results of that lowering the child's blood pressure, but also giving them something a little more to focus on so they're not just focusing on the bad things that have happened, they can also be petting a dog and having a nicer experience doing that," said Paula Nelson, of West Michigan Therapy Dogs.
Teaming up with West Michigan Therapy Dogs, the pilot program offers courthouse dogs that can help witnesses meet with prosecutors, wait to testify and attend court.
Judge Kathleen Feeney says the support will make a difference in future testimony.
"It keeps them calm; it helps them to focus and, in a criminal case, it helps them to recall facts more easily and give more accurate testimony, and that's what we want," Feeney said.
A recent bill allowing dogs in the courtroom pushed the program along.
Now, several other Michigan courts have implemented courthouse dog programs and Feeney says she hopes to extend the program across Kent County to help as many young victims and vulnerable adults on the stand as they can.
"These child victims have already been traumatized significantly and if we can do something small like have a dog there that they can pet just to kind of keep them calm or they can talk to the dog about what happened to them and it doesn't make come to court more traumatizing for them then that's fabulous."
