A dog day afternoon | Gary Yordon

It may as well have been 18 raised paws.

This spring, on an otherwise unremarkable Tuesday, when Second Circuit Chief Judge Jonathan Sjostrom asked 18 people to raise their right hands and pledge their commitment to justice, he redefined our colloquial definition of “Dog Day Afternoon”.

“This is the happiest day this courtroom has seen in a very long time,” said Judge Sjostrom. He was right. The joy was palpable. If I had a tail, it would have been wagging.

Eighteen courthouse therapy dogs and the owners who love them. Different breeds, but all with the same gift; the ability to give comfort to someone in need. A natural innate ability to absorb pain and calm fears. Four-legged therapy couches.

The calming influence of these dogs have allowed abused children to testify against their abuser. They have given victims of domestic violence the comfort to get past their fears and confront whoever hurt them. These dogs save lives. But it’s not for every dog. The training for both dog and owner is extensive, for good reason.

While courthouse dogs look just like the family dogs we enjoy, they possess the unique ability to be calm while empathetic. If our sweet lab Bogie had tried out, he would have lasted two minutes, booted when he bull-rushed the bailiff and face-licked the judge. The training is extensive, for both dog and human.

Meet Stephanie Perkins, Director of Animal Therapy at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare. Perkins leads the training team that for years, has given comfort to the sick a TMH. “Our teams make a tremendous difference in the lives of those in our community. Our teams are there to provide unconditional love and companionship. Our work benefits the very young to the very old and everyone in between.”

Perkins explained the transition between the hospital and the courthouse: “Now imagine how a dog in the courtroom must work so that comfort is given, but justice isn’t compromised. Hours of testimony in the most stressful situations. The person testifying with the dog at their feet. Each dog trained to be still and calmly responsive to touch, creating a platform for truth.”

And now imagine the dog’s owner. As extensively trained as their pooch. They must remain still and silent for hours. Showing no expression or any other gesture that might influence the proceedings and cause a mistrial. And they’re not hearing happy stories. Stoically listening to pain, abuse and heartache from vulnerable children and adult victims, while suppressing their own emotions. This is tough stuff.

It took the vision of Judge Jimmy Hankinson, who first allowed dogs in the courtroom in 2012, and the willingness of former State Attorney Willie Meggs to embrace an idea that his peers rejected.

His successor, State Attorney Jack Campbell, gave the program the advocacy it needed to flourish. Campbell says, “These dogs give kids a tomorrow they might never have had without being able to confront their abuser. That’s what animal therapy does – it allows the child to be absorbed and distracted by the dog’s presence, so they can be a kid again. And even if I’m asking questions, they talk more candidly and less guarded, very often looking at the dog when they answer.”

My friend Chuck Mitchell, a tireless advocate who has worked to expand the program across the country and who’s dog Rikki was one of the first dogs in a courtroom 10 years ago, shared, “Having a courthouse therapy dog available to assist a victim, particularly a child victim of a violent crime, enables that victim to overcome their fear and vulnerabilities, feel safe and comfortable enough to find their voice and be able to tell their story to a room full of strangers.”

To date, 86 animal therapy teams have participated in 396 court events for 186 cases and have provided comfort and support to countless children during 362 dependency cases. The swearing in of 18 dogs this spring, was not only the largest in the history of the program, but it’s also believed to be the largest ever in our country.

Behind every one of those numbers is a victim who was able to their truth because a friend they never counted on was unconditionally laying still at their feet, asking for nothing while giving everything.

Victim’s best friend.

Gary Yordon is a host of the political WCTV program "The Usual Suspects" and president of The Zachary Group. You can find his podcast, "Banana Peel Boulevard" at thepeelpodcast.com or on the Apple, Amazon Music and Spotify platforms.

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: A dog day afternoon | Gary Yordon