Courts using dogs to help child victims of sexual assault testify in court

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The Washington Post recently covered the story about a dog named Caber. The adoring Labrador Retriever assisted a 10-year old girl during her sexual assault trial in British Columbia. The trial marks the first time a dog has been used in a British Columbia courtroom.

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During trial, Caber lay at the young girl’s feet, comforting her as she testified. Caber’s handler, Delta Police Victim Services coordinator Kim Gramlich, said the girl held Caber’s leash during her lengthy testimony and bent down to pet him several times. At one point, the girl even lay down to cuddle and play with Caber a bit.

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Although it’s a first for British Columbia, dogs have provided support to victims elsewhere in the past. The New York Times reported a Golden Retriever named Rosie nuzzled a 15-year old girl as she testified that her father had sexually assaulted her.

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