Comfort and support for victims and perpetrators in a courtroom setting, that’s the goal of a new program being looked at by the Beausejour Family Crisis Resource Centre.
The courtroom dogs program has been gaining a lot of popularity in the United States, but it would be the first ever in New Brunswick.
Executive Director Kristal Leblanc says the program provides assistance for those who have to go through the criminal justice process, because it can cause a lot of anxiety and uncertainty, “It’s not a program where someone’s personal pet, or a pet therapy dog is used, that is not the process that was approved through the standards that were set forth in the United States. The concept of the courthouse dogs program is to really offer a canine who is able to offer support.”
Leblanc says the dogs are trained separately, and the handler is a victim advocate, “They must understand trauma and the criminal justice process. The handler has a high degree of training and will then be able to enter the dog into the courtroom when needed.”
This is being introduced as a part of Victims and Survivors of Crime Week. For more information, visit HERE or the Beausejour Family Crisis Resource Centre.
