Support dogs are being introduced permanently to court rooms in Sydney and Newcastle. It comes after a successful trial aimed at easing the anxiety of litigants.
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00:00These puppies will be a common sight in the courthouse, but they're not in trouble.
00:08They're being trained as therapy dogs to help people deal with the stress of being here.
00:13The dog's presence actually calms people down and we find that they are able to recall matters
00:18and actually be able to deal with evidence and questions much clearer and much quicker.
00:23The puppies will be based at the family court in Parramatta, Sydney and Newcastle.
00:28Chief Justice William Ostergren deals with domestic violence matters every day and has
00:33seen the impact the dogs have had elsewhere.
00:35It is had a really, really profound change, it's easily one of the most successful innovations
00:41we've done.
00:42It's been a rewarding experience for the trainers.
00:45They're so dedicated to the program because they can see the difference it makes to court
00:49users and court staff and through the medium of their therapy dog, they get to make people
00:55happy.
00:56The program was initially launched in Hobart and Melbourne last year to help victims, litigants
01:01and children.
01:02There are now hopes it will be expanded further in New South Wales.
01:06We'd love to see this expand and we see the benefits of our dogs every day so it's great
01:12to see that we're getting more opportunities.
01:15These puppies will now undergo 18 months of training before being introduced to the courts.