Thirty programs exist in the U.S., but the first of its kind in Mich. is the Canine Advocacy Program
By Karen Bota
Sentinel-Standard (Ionia)
IONIA, Mich. (AP) — When Jeannie Wernet interviewed last year for her job as crime victims services coordinator in Ionia County, she asked her boss, the county’s prosecuting attorney, Ron Schafer, what he thought about bringing a dog to work.
Wernet had heard about a program in which highly trained canines are used to help child victims make it through the often overwhelming experience of court proceedings. Thirty such programs exist in the country, but the first of its kind in Michigan is the Canine Advocacy Program (CAP), a non-profit organization launched in 2010 by Dan Cojanu, the supervisor of Victim Services in the
Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office for 10 years and before that with the Oakland County Juvenile Court for 20 years.
“(Schafer) was open to it,” she recalled. “Then we ran into Dan at a crime victims’ vigil at the state capitol, and the rest is history.”
The program intrigued Schafer because its focus is on assisting victims, particularly children.
“Anything we can do that would help a victim through what is usually a new, confusing, traumatic experience is something we should endeavor to undertake,” he said. “Having looked at the program and how it was working, it was an easy decision. It works.”
Cojanu’s first canine advocate was a brown Labrador retriever named Amos, who works in Oakland County and in surrounding counties when requested. Besides his courtroom work, Amos also works in a survivor group at the Oakland County Children’s Village.
Some of the dogs provide services both in the court and in residential placement settings. Eros, a Leonberger, makes weekly visits to the Children’s Village Shelter Care unit called “Mandys Place.”
After Amos came Dodger, a yellow lab and the first advocate dog sponsored by a prosecuting attorney in Michigan. Dodger works and lives in Bay County.
Canine advocates are hand-selected by Leader Dogs for the Blind in Rochester Hills, Mich.
“They know the program and what temperament we need,” said Cojanu, who is partial to labs because they have “a wonderful disposition and are cuddly for kids.
“If Leader Dogs has six dogs to look at, they look at each one individually and then pick out the right dog for our program,” he added. “They have been spot on. They are a wonderful partner.”
Patty, a black lab who turned 5 in September, belonged to an older woman who, due to health issues, could not afford to care for her any longer. Leader Dogs matched her with Ionia County’s new program. In August, Patty started a new career as the state’s third canine advocate, working with Schafer and Wernet in the prosecutor’s office. Patty is owned and handled by Wernet.
“The woman was very happy to hear that Patty is working and still being useful,” Wernet said.
The job of the canine advocate is to provide support to children who have been neglected, abused or sexually assaulted when they are preparing to testify in court, which is the most anxiety-producing time, Cojanu said.
“It’s not about getting the kids to testify. It’s about doing a little less harm in a system that is not child-friendly,” he said. “Our judicial system is the best in the world, but we don’t make enough accommodations for children.”
Children have to sit and wait, sometimes for up to three hours, said Cojanu. They have to see a judge they have never seen before, sitting 20 feet away from the person who abused them, and tell people “the most horrifying things that have happened to them,” he said.
“It’s a lot to expect from an adult. To think of kids 6, 7 and 8 to be able to do that - it’s terrifying for these kids,” he said. “The dog gives the kid a new focus other than being scared to death about going into the courtroom. They don’t have to worry about what is on the other side of the wall. They have this wonderful dog, and it is theirs for the day. They resume control over their situation.”
Cojanu said he has an “Amos rule” when working with young victims.
“I tell them, ‘Amos needs a hug before he goes in there, because he is proud of you for doing this.’ Then another hug, ‘because he’ll miss you when you’re gone,’” he said. “Kids have a rough time in court, and there is always crying, so it helps to have a big, fluffy dog waiting for them to wipe their tears on. Dogs respond to kids like something you’ve never seen. The impact is huge.”
Patty has a similar rapport when she attends hearings and meetings with children, and even sits in the witness stand when they testify.
“She alleviates stress and anxiety for the little ones. They light up when they see her,” Wernet said. “They don’t want to talk about what happened to them, but she changes how they look at their experience. They are happy to come back. They are not afraid, and they don’t dread it.”
Children are not the only ones who benefit from Patty’s presence. During a preliminary examination for an automobile death case, a victim’s family member was struggling to listen to the details of the coroner’s report. At one point, Wernet said, he was obviously very uncomfortable. Patty, who was laying at this feet, looked up at him directly into his eyes, and then got up and put her head in
his lap. He leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her.
“She helped him to get through it,” said Wernet.
“We’ve seen this work since Patty has been around several months,” Schafer said. “There have been changes in the tenor of these really tense, emotional court appearances, particularly for kids, and even for adults.”
Patty is all dog when she is off-duty. She enjoys walks, loves the water, chases the cat and plays with Wernet’s three other dogs and her kids. Her favorite treat is carrots. But Patty also gets into the garbage, climbs on the couch, doesn’t come when she is called and pees on the floor sometimes, Wernet said.
“But here, she’s flawless,” she said. “She knows she has to be on target - when she’s wearing her uniform, it’s time for work.” That uniform is her canine advocate bandanna and a particular leather lead.
Any concerns Wernet had about the distractions a dog at the office could cause never came to pass. Most people have no idea Patty is even in the courtroom when she lays on the floor beside Wernet. When canine advocates are around, everyone smiles more, Cojanu said.
“Patty is such a benefit to victims,” she said. “The judges are all very supportive. There is no issue in the courtroom.”
When Patty is introduced to new people, it takes a matter of moments before she goes from standing to sitting to flopping over on her back for a belly rub.
“She’s a love,” Wernet said. “I’ve never seen a mellower, calmer, more gentle dog.”
CAPS is currently working with St. Joseph County, which is considering a canine advocate of its own. In addition, three Dobermans work in veterans treatment courts in another first-of-its kind program. It operates under the same principle, but deals with older people.
“We keep expanding in different directions, everybody has something new to try,” Cojanu said. “If it looks good, we’ll do it. There is no downside.
“We’re finally starting to ‘get it’ as far as what dogs can bring to the courts system. There is always going to be a struggle, because it is a step outside the box,” he added. “But once people see what can happen, they say ‘Why didn’t we do it sooner?’ Everyone benefits.”
