Therapy dogs help children face their fears
Touch Our Pets Therapy Dogs (TOP Dogs) have stepped forward to help the Teddy Bear Foundation's Court Preparation Programme.
Most people associate the phrase “facing our fears” with stage fright, heights, and possibly even scary clowns. For children who have experienced unimaginable trauma and abuse, this often takes the form of confronting their abusers in front of a courtroom full of strangers. They not only have to stand in front of the court and give their testimony, but they must also be aware of all of the court’s rules and regulations, as well as all of the various role players and authority figures.
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Touch Our Pets Therapy Dogs (TOP Dogs) have stepped forward to help the Teddy Bear Foundation’s Court Preparation Programme. This program prepares children for court testimony. These sessions bring together children and their parents/guardians to get a taste of what will happen during court proceedings.
TOP Dogs’ handlers and their dogs decided to use their therapy dogs to help these children become more comfortable in the courtroom and with the people who work there. What better way to keep children engaged and interactive in court? Using these fluffy furry friends as different role players in the court. The dogs dress up as various court officials, and the children get to meet, touch, and play with the various pets while learning about each pup’s role in the courtroom.
TOP Dogs had the honor of attending the 13th Child Trauma Conference, which was hosted by Jelly Beanz and UNICEF South Africa. TOP Dogs gave a presentation titled “Creatively Leveraging Non-Human Therapists: Therapy Dogs in a Court Preparation Program for Abused Children.”
The dogs assist in teaching the children about the Court officials in a fun and enjoyable manner. At the same time, the dogs are assisting the children in healing by providing unconditional love without judgment or threat and showing the path back to trust. These canines dress up as the Magistrate, State Prosecutor, Defense, and Court Orderly (police officer). The children cling to them as they learn, but the dogs are not permitted in the real court.
TOP Dogs is a non-profit organization that welcomes community members with pets to volunteer and become part of their team of handlers. To volunteer, contact Corrie Niemann at ?083 288 7588?.
