On Friday, 18 therapy dog teams were sworn in at the Leon County Courthouse to celebrate 16 years of the Second Judicial Circuit Animal Therapy in the Courts Program.
The Second Judicial Circuit, which is made up of Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, and Wakulla counties, now has 36 dogs working for it.
At a ceremony, the handlers and dogs took an oath to serve the community by making people in the courtroom feel better.
In dependency and criminal court, therapy dog teams work with children who have been hurt by violent crimes or who have seen them happen. People say that the Florida Courthouse Therapy Dog Program is the oldest and biggest in the U.S.
The Second Judicial Circuit did not have to pay for these dogs, which came from the Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Animal Therapy Program.
Chief Judge Jonathan Sjostrom said, “The party is a way for the courts to thank the volunteers of the TMH Animal Therapy Program and their animal partners.”
