The criminal justice system and the thought of testifying in court can cause anxiety for children and adults alike. The P.A.W.S. for Justice program of the Office of the Prosecutor Coordinator strives to make this program as stress-free as possible for victims and their families. The P.A.W.S. for Justice program began in January of 2022 to provide certified courthouse facility dogs to assist victims of crime during forensic, law enforcement, or prosecutor interviews, medical exams, and courtroom proceedings throughout the state. P.A.W.S. can also be present for civil cases, meaning they can attend for Order of Protection or divorce proceedings and Domestic Violence situations.  The dogs in court proceedings usually sit with whoever they're working with under the table or by their feet if they're on the stand. They can still pet the dogs during court, though. They also can snuggle with the dogs before or after, or they can do all sorts of tricks and play games like tic-tac-toe and puzzles.   They could also just come to the Shelter and spend some time with a Survivor if they're having a tough time.

The way it works is you put in a request online if someone is interested in meeting with a dog to join them. There needs to be an initial meeting between the dog and whoever wants the dog to join them before whatever proceeding they want them at. They need to make sure that they get along with the dog, or the dog won't be a distraction for them, or there isn't something that would prevent the dog from working with them. So requests need to be put in at least a few days before whatever proceeding they're wanted at so they can schedule that initial meeting. (The earlier, the better!!)