[1]Oak, a new court therapy dog, patiently poses for a snapshot at the Lewis County courthouse.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – The Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office has expanded its staff by one; one four-legged furry volunteer whose primary job is to help put people at ease.
His name is Oak, and he started coming to the office last week.
The two and a half year old pup is a court therapy dog, and the idea is he can sit with witnesses or victims before trials, to maybe make them less nervous, according to one of his three handlers.
He’s not getting paid, he was offered by the woman who trained him, originally as a seeing eye dog.
Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer, or one of his staff, picks him up from her home in the morning, and returns him there each night.
It’s not an entirely new idea, there are other counties that use court therapy dogs, Meyer said. In Thurston County, one is used at Monarch, the child sexual assault center, for example.
Meyer said he’s spoken with the judges about Oak, and maybe even one day he could accompany a witness into the courtroom, for comfort. But that’s not something he’s expecting anytime soon, because of various logistics, he said.
Oak’s first big assignment was going to be yesterday, to sit with a teenage victim during a sex case trial. But the defendant took a plea deal before the jury was seated.
When Oak on the clock, and wearing his vest, he’s just a lovable animal, Meyer said.
“He’ll come up to people and let them pet him, or he’ll just lay there and hang out with them,” he said.
And when the vest comes off, he just runs around and plays like a regular puppy, he said.
Meyer said he plans to share more details with the public about Oak next week.