Photo: Supplied by the Delta Society Australia
Hugo the six-year-old Cavoodle, and his working buddies Norman and Venus are Delta therapy dogs. They have recently completed a nine-month stint at Manly Courthouse helping to comfort people attending court.
Hugo’s owner, Delta Society volunteer Joanne Fuda, has found that Hugo is particularly effective in helping to calm and comfort victims of domestic violence. This is especially so with women and children who are scared and anxious when they arrive but start to smile and laugh within minutes of connecting with the dog.
Hugo, Norman and Venus are all very experienced Delta therapy dogs, who also provide pet therapy services to aged care facilities and hospitals.
The trial at Manly Courthouse has been such a success that the NSW Attorney General has announced the plan to roll the program out to a further nine courthouses around New South Wales. Delta will be offered the opportunity to tender for the program as part of the rollout. So watch this space!!
Mark Speakman, NSW Attorney General, said, “We’ve looked at American and Canadian experiences in courthouses where therapy dogs are proven to reduce stress and anxiety, and therefore improve the quality of evidence that witnesses give, so I’m confident that other states will want to follow suit.”
Meet the hero hounds & volunteers that have made the Court Therapy Dog program such a hit. #workingdogs #doggos
Posted by Department of Justice NSW on Friday, March 16, 2018
Sources:
Delta Tails newsletter Autumn 2018 edition
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/courthouse-duty-all-in-a-day-s-work-for-caring-canines
Find out more about Delta Therapy dogs here.
