A golden blonde, furry, gentle friend ended up at the Child Witness Centre in 2020 and has helped 75 children go through the court process.
Her name is Monet, and she is a six-year-old golden retriever facility dog who helps children who are victims or witnesses to crime. She was donated to the Child Witness Centre from National Service Dogs.
The Child Witness Centre helps children in Guelph, Wellington County and Waterloo region. They help children and families throughout the court process, with court preparation, testimonial aids and advocacy.
“She provides non-judgmental comfort,” said Ryan Dufton, manager of communications and events coordinator with Child Witness Centre.
“When she has her purple vest on, she knows she’s in work mode. She takes her job pretty seriously. She’s very obedient taking orders,” said Dufton.
When the vest comes off and she’s not working she likes to play with her toys, go for walks, eat treats and acts like a regular dog.
She has an Instagram page showing her at work and what she does for fun outside of work. Monet is a Toronto Maple Leafs fan and often gets dressed up for holidays.
Not only can she sit, rollover, shake a paw but Monet was trained to put her paw on a child’s knee and put her chin on their shoulder. These are a couple of ways Monet provides comfort.
Recently, the Child Witness Centre received a $5,000 grant from United Way toward Monet’s care costs, food, her handler’s salaries and mini-Monet stuffed animals.
Children who go through the centre and are paired up with Monet will receive a stuffed animal that looks like her wearing a purple vest, signifying she is a service dog.
The stuffed animals are used as transitional objects. “It’s kind of like a security blanket. It helps a child’s sense of security. Helps them deal with their feelings of anxiety. Just a little more sense of control,” said Dufton.
It helps them transition from going through the court process to going home, with a stuffed animal that reminds them of the time they spent with Monet, said Dufton.
Monet attends trials with children at the courthouse.
“Sometimes kids are just so worked up that they can’t even talk. They can’t share their story which is critical. They need to share their testimony in order for there to be justice,” he said.
“Monet is that difference maker for them to be able to calm down enough to share that story.”
She is a member of the team, not just a dog, said Dufton.
