At long last something worth reporting out of Australia!
Lawyers Weekly Australia reports
Therapy dog, Poppy, has been given a very important job in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.
For five days a week, Guide Dogs-trained Poppy will be working around the Melbourne registry with her handler to offer vital support to litigants and children involved in family law proceedings.
Chief Justice Will Alstergren said the courts are “extremely pleased” with the new addition to the registry’s team.
“This is the first time a therapy or facility dog has been used in Australian federal courts, and backed by behavioural science and the experiences of courts all around the world, the benefits to litigants will be significant,” Chief Justice Alstergren said.
Poppy has the enormous job of providing comfort and emotional support, giving a sense of normalcy, assisting with communication, and providing a healthy distraction from trauma responses by being a loveable and physical source of calming touch.
Thanks to the Victorian Bar and its foundation, Poppy can do this in the court foyer and waiting rooms, as well as inside the courtroom, meditation rooms and during Court Children Services interviews.
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