How Washington Pioneered the Use of Courthouse Facility Dogs

BY TRACEY FITZGERALD

On a September weekday morning in downtown Seattle, the King County Courthouse bustles with the familiar rhythm of hearings, motions, the rap of a gavel, and hallway conversations. But woven into that movement is something unexpected: a calm, composed dog lying at the feet of a witness or waiting quietly outside a courtroom. No fanfare. No disruption. Just a quiet, grounding presence.

Once unimaginable, this scene is now part of an innovative model that began right here in Washington state. And it started with a dog named Jeeter.

A Washington Original: How It All Began

In 2003, King County Deputy Prosecutor Ellen O’Neill-Stephens received a service dog named Jeeter to assist her disabled son, Sean. On days when Jeeter couldn’t be with Sean, O’Neill-Stephens brought the dog to work with her at the King County Courthouse. Upon seeing the positive reaction to Jeeter from her coworkers and visitors to the courthouse, O’Neill-Stephens began taking Jeeter to juvenile treatment court, and then to accompany children in criminal trials. 

Jeeter’s effect was immediate and unmistakable. Children who couldn’t speak were able to relax and express themselves. Teens in crisis were able to open up and feel a moment of calm by petting the dog. Fear receded just enough for people to find their words.

Recognizing this transformation, the King County Prosecutor’s Office acquired its own full-time courthouse facility dog, Ellie, in 2004. Trained by Canine Companions, Ellie was partnered with Senior Deputy Prosecutor Page Ulrey and became the first courthouse facility dog in the nation.

“Ellie was a game changer for all of us,” says Ulrey. “The courts are a high-stress environment with heart-wrenching trials involving victims of violence, sexually abused children, and cases where lives are truly at stake. Ellie brought a sense of calm to those involved in the cases and beyond.” 

The presence of Ellie was recognized as so valuable that when a new victim service center was established at the King County Courthouse in 2018, it was named Ellie’s Place. At the opening ceremony, Dan Satterberg, King County prosecutor at the time, remarked:

We have found that when a dog is here, and victims of crime come to our office, everybody relaxes a little bit. It’s an anti-anxiety therapy to have a dog who understands people and human nature. Ellie proved to us that we cannot do without the presence of a canine companion here in the office.

Years later, Ulrey also welcomed Errol, the 100th courthouse facility dog placed in the U.S. Errol successfully stepped into Ellie’s “paw prints,” helping the vulnerable and winning the hearts of the legal community. Errol’s recent retirement was recognized by the Metropolitan King County Council and King County executive with a special ceremony that proclaimed Oct. 21, 2025, “Errol the Courthouse Dog Day.” “For 10 years, Errol has served the people of King County with quiet strength, patience, and an extraordinary gift for bringing calm and comfort to hundreds of vulnerable witnesses: young children, survivors of gender-based violence, and our elders as they navigated the most difficult moments of their lives,” King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion said at the ceremony.

Inspired by Jeeter and Ellie’s early success, O’Neill-Stephens joined forces with Celeste Walsen, doctor of veterinary medicine, in 2008 to establish the Courthouse Dogs Foundation (CDF). The nonprofit organization is dedicated to spreading the success of courthouse dogs as an integral part of helping victims, witnesses, and vulnerable people throughout the justice process. The foundation helps justice professionals integrate highly trained facility dogs into courtrooms, child advocacy centers, police departments, and prosecutors’ offices.

The Science Behind the Quiet Revolution

Dogs and humans began co-evolving over 30,000 years ago, which helps to explain the history of this special bond between the species. The idea of integrating dogs into the justice system wasn’t merely intuitive; it was grounded in research. Studies show that petting a dog can reduce the physical symptoms of stress, including lowering blood pressure, slowing and regulating heart rate, and improving memory recall.¹1 www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167876022001787. Additionally, physical contact with a dog increases oxytocin levels.²2 Id. For witnesses grappling with trauma, these physiological responses can mean the difference between silence and speech.

When asked about the benefits of having a trained facility dog in the courthouse, Pierce County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Megan A. Winder said:

I have watched children go from frozen in fear to able to speak once a facility dog settled beside them. One of the first times I saw this transformation was during a trial involving two young siblings. The younger child was so distraught he could barely enter the courtroom. But when Astro, our courthouse dog, sat quietly at his feet and the boy clutched the dog’s leash, something changed—his body calmed, his voice steadied, and he was able to tell the truth about what happened to him. Without the dog’s presence, I am convinced he would not have been able to testify at all. The dog didn’t just comfort him; it made his voice possible.

As the Washington state legal community began seeing these effects firsthand, skepticism shifted to possibility. The question was no longer whether dogs belonged in courthouses, but how far their impact could reach. The vision of the Courthouse Dogs Foundation is a future where justice systems worldwide are trauma-informed and professionally trained facility dogs help ensure compassion and fairness for all participants, including legal professionals navigating secondary trauma.

How Courthouse Dogs Help

The successful prosecution of a criminal case often depends on the victim’s ability to report the details and testify in court. This can be very difficult with kids, especially traumatized children. Even if a victim doesn’t have to testify at trial because the defendant pleads guilty, they may still have to face the defendant (often a relative or parent) at sentencing, which can be highly stressful.

During Errol’s time supporting the King County Prosecutor’s Office, he helped a young boy named Malachi testify in court after his mother, Lindsay, was killed by an intoxicated driver. The child had witnessed the aftermath of the crash but was too traumatized to speak to prosecutors about the incident. Errol sat beside Malachi during the court proceedings, providing the emotional support that enabled him to testify. The case ultimately ended in a conviction.

Can Any Dog Be a Courthouse Facility Dog?

The ideal courthouse facility dogs are professionally and purposely bred and trained by Assistance Dogs International (ADI)-accredited organizations. The dogs are selected for temperament, including calmness and confidence, with golden or Labrador retrievers, or a mix, being common choices. 

The full training period for a facility dog is approximately 18 months, including six to nine months with professional service dog trainers. Training includes rigorous public-access preparation, such as exposing dogs to crowded public spaces, court-like environments, elevators, children of all ages, and other potential distractions so they remain calm and focused in demanding public environments. Once trained, the dogs are paired with legal professionals, such as forensic interviewers, child advocates, detectives, prosecutors, and police officers. Once the professional handler is selected and matched with a dog, they will go through extensive team training at the ADI organization’s facility. Dogs and their handlers must pass the ADI Public Access Test (the same standard used for certified service dogs) to demonstrate safe, reliable behavior in public (and courtroom) settings. The teams are recertified regularly to ensure consistent behavior and good canine health.

From the earliest stages of applying for a facility dog through implementation and long-term use, the Courthouse Dogs Foundation supports handler teams with a practical focus on integrating facility dogs into real-world legal settings. The foundation works closely with agencies to ensure teams are prepared to use facility dogs effectively and appropriately during interviews, medical exams, therapy sessions, court proceedings, and other high-stress moments, while reinforcing professional standards, legal integrity, and trauma-informed practice.

According to Felicia Ako, CEO, Courthouse Dogs Foundation, “Facility dogs are bringing compassion to the justice system in a variety of ways. Successfully trained dogs can lie quietly beside a child during a forensic interview, accompany a survivor during a pretrial conference, comfort victims and their families at the scene of a crime or mass event incident, or support a vulnerable witness on the stand while tucked away out of view of jurors. These are just a few of many examples.”

---

THE FOUNDATION BEHIND THE MOVEMENT:

CDF Supports Programs from Start to Finish

Behind every courthouse facility dog team is a complex ecosystem of training, legal standards, program planning, legislation, and ongoing care. The Courthouse Dogs Foundation is the backbone of that system, here in Washington state and around the world. The nonprofit helps ensure agencies have the guidance and support they need to launch their programs using proven best practices, while also providing access to ongoing education and a worldwide community of other dog handlers.

Helping Agencies Start New Programs

Organizations often come to CDF with the same questions:

• How do we get a courthouse dog?
• Who should serve as the handler?
• How do we navigate court protocol or skepticism?
• What policies must we have in place?

CDF provides:

• Step-by-step program development guidance.
• Sample standards and courtroom protocols.
• Training on how dogs can be used ethically and effectively.
• Education for judges, administrators, and law enforcement.
• Ongoing support for dog handlers through bi-weekly meetings and an annual conference.

Connecting Handlers With ADI-Accredited Organizations

CDF maintains strong relationships with ADI-accredited assistance dog organizations, which train the dogs and ensure compliance with globally accepted accreditation standards. CDF helps connect the assistance dog organization with legal professionals. Additionally, they consult and help with:

• Legal professionals applying for a courthouse facility dog.
• Helping the legal organization find a primary and secondary dog handler.
• Educating ADI organization staff and trainers on the legal aspects of a facility dog’s responsibilities.
• Preparing handlers for placement through training and sharing best practices.
• Navigating placement timelines and overcoming barriers.
• Finding a few best-fit ADI partners that fit the legal organization’s needs.

This matchmaking ensures the safe, reliable placement of dogs who can handle courtroom environments.

Shaping State and National Policy

CDF has become a trusted voice in legislative and policy efforts, including advising lawmakers on courthouse dog statutes; educating bar associations and judicial communities; contributing to national conversations that informed the American Bar Association’s 2021 resolution³3 www.americanbar.org/groups/government_public/resources/public-lawyer/2022-winter/courtroom-dogs-help-ensure-victims-voices-are-heard/.  supporting facility dogs for victims and witnesses; and advocating for the first state law, Washington RCW 10.52.110, which was certified on July 12, 2024. The new law states that courts with an available courthouse facility dog must allow a witness under 18 or who has a developmental disability to partner with a dog. 

Additional recently passed legislation around the country can be found on the CDF website at https://courthousedogs.org/legal/facility-dog-legislation/. 

Providing Lifelong Support for Dog–Handler Teams

CDF’s involvement doesn’t end once a dog is placed. They support teams throughout the dog’s working life by providing continuing education, training refresher courses, guidance on challenging cases, courtroom etiquette best practices, mentoring for first-time handlers, and support for retirement planning. With good health, a facility dog usually works for approximately 10 years. After retirement, the handler or primary caretaker will have the first opportunity to “adopt” the dog.

Building a Global Network Through Justice Facility Dogs U.S.

CDF oversees Justice Facility Dogs U.S., a professional network that connects the nearly 400 dog handlers around the country. Through webinars, case discussions, conferences, and peer support, handlers can share strategies, learn from experienced peers, access international best practices, troubleshoot tough cases, and build community in what can otherwise be emotionally taxing work. The result is a profession supported by a strong, knowledgeable, interconnected community.

A Washington Success Story

Today, nearly 18 facility dogs serve communities across Washington (with more expected), including in Chelan, Everett, Lacey, Olympia, Vancouver, and Spokane. The dogs are working in:

• Prosecuting attorneys’ offices
• Child advocacy centers
• Law enforcement agencies
• University police
• Victim support organizations

Across the globe, nearly 500 courthouse facility dogs now support this work. In the United States, approximately 380 dogs serve communities in 43 states, with another 120 working in nine countries—including Canada, France, Belgium, Italy, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, and the newest location, French Polynesia.

The movement that Washington started is now global. 

---

NOTES

1. www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167876022001787. 

2. Id. 

3. www.americanbar.org/groups/government_public/resources/public-lawyer/2022-winter/courtroom-dogs-help-ensure-victims-voices-are-heard/.