'He's the calm in the storm': Meet Tater Tot, Summit juvenile court's new therapy dog

One of the newest members of Summit County Juvenile Court’s staff is shy and often hides under tables.

He also follows orders and is happy to give people a hug when they are feeling down.

His name is Tater Tot, and he’s a professional therapy dog who was hired a few months ago to provide comfort to youths during court proceedings.

Court employees, though, say the “chief cuddle officer” has done more than that — helping not just the troubled young people the court serves, but also those who work there. Even Judge Linda Tucci Teodosio, one of the longest-serving judges in the county, has warmed to the furry addition.

“That’s the best hug I’ve had in a long time!” she said on a recent afternoon after Tater Tot gave her one of his popular hugs.

Tater Tot is thought to be one of the only therapy dogs working in Ohio juvenile courts and with a Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program, which advocates for abused and neglected children.

Since Tater Tot started working in the court in February, Teodosio has gotten calls from judges in several other large counties who wanted to know how they can get their own canine companions.

Geoff Auerbach, the CASA social worker who is Tater Tot’s handler, will give a presentation on the benefits of having a therapy dog at a statewide conference at the end of the year.

“We may have started a trend,” Teodosio said.

What led to doggie addition

Auerbach pitched the idea for Tater Tot joining the juvenile court’s staff before he was even working there.

Auerbach was a CASA volunteer and then joined the staff as a social worker about a year ago.

Teodosio said she liked the idea right away, but COVID put it on hold because few people were in the building while concerns about the spread of the virus were at their peak. The judge decided to go forward with the plans early this year when courts began to reopen.

Auerbach got Tater Tot a year and a half ago as a graduation gift. The dog, which is a border collie mix, was trained by Canine Assistance Rehabilitation Education & Services at an inmate program at Ellsworth Correctional Facility in Kansas.

All the dogs in Tater Tot’s class were given names of notable figures in Kansas, with Tater Tot’s original name being McCoy. Auerbach wanted to change this to a more kid-friendly moniker, and a friend suggested Tater Tot.

Tater Tot knows 56 commands that include some of the basics, like sit, stay and come, as well as “hug,” which prompts the dog to jump up and put his front paws on a person’s shoulders when he or she is sitting or crouched down.

Auberbach has been taking Tater Tot with him to visits with young people being assisted by CASA and to court hearings, including those for RESTORE court, a program aimed at helping young people who are considered at risk for human trafficking.

More: Summit County addresses human trafficking with new court program

Tater Tot in action

During a recent RESTORE hearing, Tater Tot went straight under the desk where a 17-year-old participant was seated and sat by her feet.

“Hi,” she told the dog, who appeared skittish because of the extra attention he was getting. “You’re okay.”

The Barberton teen pet the dog as she listened to court staff and Magistrate David Fish talk about how she was doing with the program’s requirements.

The report was mostly positive. She had done well in school and would advance — with the help of summer classes — to the next grade, had found a summer job in a pastry shop and had two negative drug screens after one that was positive.

The court staff clapped and cheered.

“We will be done with each other soon,” Fish told the teen. “Where I met you and where you are now, you’ve come a tremendously long way.”

When the teen got a little teary, Tater Tot put his feet on her lap.

Fish told the teen she was ready to graduate and said the ceremony would be later that week.

“I thought it was impossible,” she said. “I thought I’d be in jail.”

The teen’s mother said she looks up to her daughter.

“Something in me said: ‘I’m grown up. I want to get my life together,’” the teen said.

The teen read her petition for graduation, in which said she had stayed out of trouble, stopped hanging out with the wrong people and using drugs, and stayed on task with school.

After the hearing, the teen said she appreciated having Tater Tot with her during hearings, especially in her early days in the program.

“Before everything was good, he made me feel much better,” she said.

Future plans for Tater Tot

Tater Tot will soon have some new tasks added to his to-do list.

Auerbach has taken him to visit with youths in detention a few times, but this will now become a regular stop for the duo.

The court has a therapy room for young people in detention that includes weighted blankets and coloring books. There also are three counselors available.

Teodosio thinks having Tater Tot visit will be a great addition to assist these young people. She said they’re in detention because they have done something wrong, but “are still kids.”

The court also has begun allowing anyone on staff who has a youth they think would benefit from Tater Tot’s help to request a visit. Teodosio said the court will even change plans to work around the dog’s availability.

Magistrate Amber Crowe recently requested a visit from Tater Tot for a youth who is being required to move to a different home and leave behind the guinea pig he’s been caring for. She said the young man was elated when he learned he’d get to meet Tater Tot later this month.

“He’s the calm in the storm,” Crowe said of Tater Tot. “We meet these kids at the worst time of their lives.”

The court staff showed Tater Tot how much they appreciate him by recently having an ice cream social on his fourth birthday. He got a baby pool filled with balls, a plush birthday cake and a visit from Avery, a therapy dog with the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office who assists child victims during court proceedings in Summit County Common Pleas Court.

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When Tater Tot isn't partying or working, the dog can often be found working off some energy behind the court building, with Auerbach throwing a Frisbee for him.

On a recent afternoon, the dog crouched in anticipation and — after Auerbach launched a Frisbee in the air — bounded after the toy, trying to catch it before it hit the grass.

Youths in the fenced-in detention yard watched Tater Tot fetch the Frisbee, and a magistrate on the way to her car stopped to pet the pooch.

Auerbach, who has a specialty license plate that says “TATRTOT,” is pleased with the reception Tater Tot has gotten in the court so far. He’s also happy for himself, because he’s landed his dream job of helping young people while working with an animal.

“I keep thinking someone will decide this isn’t a real job, but it is — and is a beneficial one,” he said.

Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com, 330-996-3705 and on Twitter: @swarsmithabj.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Therapy dog Tater Tot spreads cheer in Summit County Juvenile Court