I love hearing stories about the surprising capabilities of animals, and I think some of you might be as inspired by this item as much as I was -- therapy dogs are being allowed into courtrooms to help traumatized children testify against their alleged assailants. The dogs accompany the children to the witness stand to help steady their nerves, so that they may speak about unspeakable things done to them.
The first such dog to take part in a trial in New York was featured in a New York Times story. Rosie, an 11-year-old golden retriever, helped a 15-year-old girl tell the court that her father had raped her. "At least once when the teenager hesitated in Judge Greller's courtroom, the dog rose and seemed to push the girl gently with her nose," reporter William Glaberson wrote. The father was convicted.
Rosie already has had a long career working with emotionally troubled children. A psychologist who has watched Rosie in action said that when a child is struggling to speak of something painful, without prompting Rosie will go to the child and nuzzle him or her. While dogs can be trained to do many remarkable things, I can't imagine how a dog could be trained to be sensitive to a human's emotional pain.
The use of therapy dogs in the courtroom is not without controversy. The defendant's attorneys complained that the presence of the dog prejudiced the jury against their client. Whenever the girl stroked the dog, they said, it gave the impression she was under stress because she was telling the truth. The attorneys argue the stress might as easily have been caused by lying. Plus, there was no way to cross-examine the dog. The attorneys plan to appeal.
On the other hand, the judge had noted that children have been allowed to hold teddy bears and other comforting toys as they testify. Would stroking a teddy bear be less prejudicial?
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