Courts can be ruff, but courthouse dogs can help alleviate anxiety to ease the judicial process. Meet Honey, a golden retriever who works in the Twenty-Second Judicial Circuit. Dan Wallis, Trial Court Administrator, shares how their therapy dog program works.
Tell us about the courthouse therapy dog program. How did it start and how does it work?
I was first approached about the idea of a facility/therapy dog around 2016 and was completely against it. I was approached again in 2018 by the judge in the Juvenile Court, who indicated that having a dog in the Judicial Center would be extremely beneficial to the juveniles who were appearing before him. Out of respect for the judge, I began researching this topic and discovered very quickly that there is a scientific certainty that having a facility/therapy dog available in courthouses reduces stress. I then drafted a 46-page document outlining my research, the rationale for such a program, policies and procedures, and resources. This document was presented to the then Chief Judge, and I was clearly and colorfully told no. The topic of the facility/therapy dog came up at our 2024 budget presentation to the County Administrator and a different chief judge; the door opened a crack, I stormed right through it, and Honey was at the Judicial Center ten days later.
Tell us about Honey (age, breed, etc.). How long has she worked with the court?
Honey is an 18-month-old female Golden Retriever and has been working in the Judicial Center since September 2024.
How would you describe Honey’s daily job?
Honey lives to interact with people. When she arrives at the Judicial Center, she knows that she is the center of attention. Her head is always held high, and her tail is always wagging. Always. First thing in the morning, she loves to run down the long public hallways of the Judicial Center and then also of the restricted corridors where she gets to interact with security personnel and judges.
Honey accompanies me anywhere I go. She walks the hallways with me, interacting with nearly everyone she meets along the way. She enjoys the meetings I attend, mostly because after she goes and says hello to everyone, she takes a nap.
How would you describe Honey, both on the job and at home?
Honey is the most social dog I have ever seen. She absolutely loves people, especially children. She also has a big personality. She likes to prance when she has a toy, or a stick (which is her favorite toy). You can see her personality when she is walking down the hallways. I often refer to her sashaying down the hallways rather than walking.
At home, Honey loves to be outside. She loves walking out and pointing her nose to the sky to smell anything that she can. She loves to play with her multitude of toys but most of all, Honey loves to give hugs.
Who does Honey primarily interact with?
Everyone. She interacts with employees, judges, other offices in the Judicial Center (other offices have toys for her to play with), attorneys and of course members of the public.
How do people generally respond to Honey?
The vast majority of people who have met Honey adore her. There have only been a couple of people in the past 15 months that have been afraid of her simply because she is a dog and those interactions are controlled.
People are genuinely happy to see her and want her to come to them to say hello. On one instance, I had a particular attorney who even laid down on the floor of the public hallway so Honey could snuggle with him.
People genuinely light up and smile when they see Honey sashaying down the hall and stop to give her a pat or a pet. Numerous people have stated that seeing Honey “makes their day.”
Can you share a time that Honey made a particularly profound impact on someone visiting the courthouse?
When Honey was about 12 weeks old and prior to her 26 weeks of training, she was coming to the Judicial Center for socialization. Basically, meeting and interacting with as many people as possible. During this time, one of the judges made us aware that a seven-year-old would be testifying in a contentious divorce case. We decided that it would be best to introduce the two of them in the morning and bring Honey down to the conference room that she was in a couple of times throughout the day. At the end of the day, my Deputy Court Administrator came rushing into my office and stated, “The seven-year-old is here and we need the puppy.” Honey was doing what she normally does in the afternoon, taking a nap. I scooped Honey up in my arms and went to the front office. Standing at the door was a seven-year-old girl, clearly upset, and crying. I approached her with Honey in my arms and asked, “Do you need a Honey hug?” The girl simply nodded. I got Honey up close to her, and Honey did what she does so well, nuzzled into the girl’s arms and neck and proceeded to give her a hug. It was powerfully emotional to watch the interaction. As I turned to look back into my office to see if anyone was watching, I could see four women were standing, watching, and were moved to tears. I was glad to see that I wasn’t the only one…
Another instance was a woman who had been severely battered and was seeking an Order of Protection. Honey and I were asked to go to a conference room to meet with the woman. When we opened the door were met by a woman with two black eyes, bruises, and a swollen lip, who did not speak English. There was no language barrier for Honey. She walked over to the woman sitting on the chair and placed her head in her lap. The woman started petting Honey and slipped from the chair to the floor and began to sob. Honey climbed into her lap and began licking the woman’s face as if she were telling her that it would be okay.
What does Honey do when she’s not working?
Honey does get to be a dog. She loves being outside, but her absolute favorite thing to do is to ride the four-wheel ATV with me around the neighborhood. Like a true Golden Retriever, she loves to have her ears flapping the wind. If the ATV comes out of the garage, she wants a ride and will jump up on it and even bark at me until we go out for a ride. The other thing she loves is going out on the boat, especially when we are fishing. She loves to put her face and nose into the wind and have the breeze blow through her golden locks. When we catch fish, she must meet each one. She will run from the bow of the boat to the stern of the boat to make sure that she gets to make new friends. She does seem puzzled a little bit when we return the fish to the water and she can no longer see them. She will put her front paws on the gunnel and peer into the water and appears to be asking, “Hey, where did my friend go?”
Another thing that Honey loves to do is game that we call “stalking.” She likes to pretend that she is the hunter and others are her prey. She “sneaks” up by crouching low, and moving slowly, even if you are looking at her. When she gets close enough, she pounces and will growl like a vicious beast. All the while hopping up and down and wagging her tail. She seems to be very proud of herself.
Honey is also an excellent trainer. She has helped train other dogs and handlers. As an example, it only took Honey three days to train us that she was going to sleep on the bed with us.
Also, Honey enjoys watching television, providing the program involves animals. I would have to say her favorites are The Jungle Book and Call of the Wild. She also likes to watch penguins.
Why do you think the courthouse therapy dog program is important?
When I teach various courses through the Illinois Judicial College, I often tell people that no one wants to come to the courthouse. Unless it is for an adoption or a wedding, no one wants to be at the courthouse; it isn’t a fun place. Having a therapy dog to interact with people at stressful moments is a fantastic thing. It brings a glimmer of joy to someone’s face when they need it the most. It doesn’t fix the situation, but for that instance, it makes it more tolerable. We talk about access to justice and tearing down barriers. In this case it isn’t just about providing access, it is about making the experience better, even for that moment. The interaction and be powerful.
Is there anything else you’d like to share about the program and/or Honey?
My only regret is that I didn’t get this program started sooner. While I regret that, I am so happy through the course of time that Honey and I were brought together when the time was right. She is truly a special pup that has the instinct to pick up on when people are in distress, even when we as humans do not pick up on that distress. She is the most intuitive and empathic animal that I have ever had the privilege of being around. She is truly special and cannot imagine not having her at the Judicial Center or in my life. It has been an amazing experience that I will treasure for the remainder of my days.