Therapy Dogs Cut Courthouse Anxiety in Orange, NSW

A young woman facing testimony in a murder trial sat frozen on the courthouse floor, unable to stand from fear. Then Bono, a golden retriever with gentle brown eyes, sat beside her while she held him and cried.

Minutes later, she walked into the courtroom. Weeks after the case ended, she told handler Pam Davis she never would have testified without Bono's help.

This scene plays out regularly at the Orange courthouse in New South Wales, where therapy dogs are changing how vulnerable witnesses experience the justice system. The Canine Court Companionship Program pairs specially trained dogs with volunteer handlers to support crime victims facing the intimidating court process.

Bono works alongside Lola, a black labrador, patrolling the historic courthouse's corridors in search of anxious faces. Their handlers, Davis and Kerry Stevenson, watch as the dogs seem to sense who needs comfort most.

"They're scared, they're nervous, they're often tearful," Davis said of the young people waiting to testify. "Our dogs calm them down, and then they're ready to go in and be a witness."

The dogs have different strengths. Bono gravitates toward children and loves hugs, while Lola tends to choose stressed adults. On busy court days, this tag team approach means more people get support.

Stevenson joined the program in 2019 when Lola arrived from Sydney. She watches in amazement as her partner picks up on stress levels she can't detect herself. "Lola comes up to people I've not picked, they're feeling stressed, and she'll just sit with them," she said.

The Ripple Effect

The program now serves 11 courthouses across New South Wales, mostly in regional communities. Court staff, police officers, solicitors and the general public all benefit from the calming presence.

"It changes the whole mood of that section of the court," Davis said. After intense sessions, both handlers and dogs need to decompress together, usually over coffee in comfortable silence.

These therapy dogs are guide dog program dropouts, but their outgoing personalities make them perfect for courthouse work. Guide Dogs Australia and the NSW Department of Communities and Justice cover food and basic vet care, while volunteers bring the dogs into their homes full time.

The Orange team is now desperate for more volunteers. Two additional dog and handler pairs would add two more days of support each week at the courthouse.

Davis has seen the difference firsthand. The program helps people find courage they didn't know they had, turning courthouse hallways from places of dread into spaces where healing can begin.