BENTONVILLE — Kellen Constant had to stand by and watch a 13-year-old girl cry after learning about the unexpected death of her mother.
The girl was being held in the Benton County Juvenile Detention Center. There are rules against the staff having any physical contact with detainees.
Constant, who has been a teacher at the detention center for four years, remembers not being able to physically comfort the girl. Some children are held for long periods without having any physical and comforting contact, Constant said.
“She was sitting there crying in the classroom,” Constant said of the girl. “I couldn’t hug her, and that’s kind of what started me off to research.”
The research led her to learning about Canine Companions, a nonprofit organization that breeds and trains service dogs.
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