Judges’ perceptions of facility dogs in the courtroom

We examined judges’ perceptions of facility dogs used to comfort witnesses during testimony in courtrooms. Content analysis of an open-ended survey question revealed that most judges support facility dog use to some degree, especially for children and in family, dependency, or juvenile courts. Perceived benefits included providing emotional support for witnesses who then could be calmer and provide better testimony (e.g., more accurate, more truthful, clearer). Perceived drawbacks included potential disruption, access issues for those allergic to or afraid of dogs, and bias. We discuss future research and implications for judges, advocates, and researchers.