TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Barking news! 18 therapy dogs and their handlers were sworn into Florida's 2nd Judicial Circuit Friday afternoon.
The dogs are a part of Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare's Animal Therapy Program. They're provided to children who are victims of abuse, or violent crimes and need help opening up and feeling comfortable to testify in those cases.
Chuck Mitchell, volunteer with the TMH Animal Therapy Program, shares what it means to help those victims.
"To be able to help these kids find their voices and tell their stories and see justice get done, to be able to talk about it is cathartic so they can get on down the road towards rehabilitation and healing. So it means the world to be able to help these kids and all the victims and witnesses that we help in the courts," said Mitchell.
Mitchell said they set the world record today by swearing in 18 therapy dogs at once. 36 dogs in the TMH therapy dog program are certified to work in the courts.
