New Michigan bill expands use of therapy dogs in court
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard has long been a proponent of comfort canines, or therapy dogs.
OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) – Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard has long been a proponent of comfort canines – therapy dogs, as the Department’s Team of King Charles Cavaliers just keeps growing.
“The dogs just have a transformative impact on people because they’re so loving,” said Bouchard. “We have 15 that are all across the county – they get called out regularly to situations where maybe a child has been in a car accident – they’re feeling traumatized or an interview with a child.”
The State of Michigan is expanding the use of therapy dogs in courtrooms – but that comes with some concerns for child advocates.
“Right now our canine advocates – we only have victim advocates as handlers in prosecutors’ offices, not potentially an untrained handler,” said Blythe Tanner. “So you can imagine the graphic testimony possibly of an abused child – that the handler may react, and that may be cause for appeal – making a child have to testify again.”
Tyler is the president and CEO of CARE House of Oakland County and says since 2018, highly trained dogs and handlers from their canine advocacy program have been helping children 15 years of age and younger. The dogs have been used to comfort survivors of child abuse and sexual assault, testify in court.
The new law applies to victims 17 and younger – but allows for any therapy dog recognized by the American Kennel Club to participate.
“You have to have trained people to sit with these children and work with them – and the same with the dogs – they have not been vetted,” said Daniel Cojanu.
Cojanu is the co-founder of The Canine Advocacy Program.
“I’ve been working with neglected and abused children for over 43 years,” Cojanu said. “And the thought of making them come back and testify again – it’s unconscionable.
“This piece of legislation is frankly dangerous.”
Cojanu says the new law – while well-intentioned – is simply too broad.
“It can work, but there has to be training – there has to be limitations involved,” he said.
“I think having a canine advocate in a courtroom with a child who is going through something this traumatic is important,” Tyler said. “It’s important to be able to do it – but we’ve got to do it right.”
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