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'A game changer' | Specially-trained dogs help comfort child abuse victims

Two trained facility dogs, Orville and Lucia, work with victims from their first forensic interviews all the way to trial.

MAYNARDVILLE, Tenn. — With a wag of her tail and a yawn, seven-year-old golden retriever-lab mix Lucia goes to work comforting the victims of child abuse.

She's one of two "facility dogs" working in District Attorney General Jared Effler's district — which includes Union, Fentress, Campbell, Claiborne and Scott counties — to help children face the worst incidents that ever happened. 

The children are introduced to the dogs in their first encounters with law enforcement. Lucia and three-year-old Orville's handlers are forensic interviewers.

"Having just me and the child in a room is a little bit scary [for them], especially talking about the things that we talk about," said interviewer Mackenzie Adkins. "So having Orville in the room, most of the time Orville will lay his head in their lap and they tend to just look at him and pet him the entire time that they’re talking -- and that kind of changes the atmosphere at a little bit."

The dogs accompany the child all the way through the legal process, including sitting with them on the witness stand during a trial if necessary. 

"I’ve seen a child sex abuse victim literally crawl under the table when a male subject would walk into the room and then that child victim gained the courage to take the witness stand and face her perpetrator all because of the facility dog," Effler said. 

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Lucia has worked three jury trials, her handler Sonni Regan said — and it's had an impact: "You just hear it in their voice you know it kind of takes some of that anxiety or fear of being there and kind of lessens that."

At least one suspect has challenged the use of facility dogs in court, complaining that the dog was "paraded" in front of the jury. The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals ruled earlier this year that the use of facility dogs is permitted. 

"We're on strong legal footing," Effler said. 

He wants more judicial districts to adopt facility dogs in their child advocacy centers. Right now, Effler said, there are only four facility dogs in CACs across the state. 

"I believe that strongly that they are such an assistance to child abuse victims," Effler said. "There’s really a special bond between our facility dogs and our child victims when that case goes to trial."

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