MULLINS, SC (WBTW) – The Marion County Sheriffs Office now has a therapy dog named Caj to assist in the court room.
The 6-month-old English Springer Spaniel was warmly welcomed by the sheriffs office Wednesday. When necessary, Caj can be called in when someone needs to testify in a courtroom.
Victims advocates say therapy animals are a great tool, especially for situations where children have to take the stand.
“You have so many raw emotions in those situations, where you know, just going in and trying to give them crayons and coloring books- that just doesn’t always work, they need more,” said victims advocate Tammy Erwin.
The sheriffs office agrees having Caj around calms people down and can lower blood pressure in tough situations.
“Usually bond hearings are within 24 hours of the assault or incident, so things are very emotional,” said Erwin. “A lot of our domestic violence victims are still shaken, bruised and they need as much comfort as we can give them.”
