Our Facility dog will promote the mission of the Barrie Center by providing quiet companionship to children during forensic interviews, extended forensic interviews, trauma focused cognitive therapy and courtroom proceedings, which will comfort the children and allow them to participate more fully in these activities.
Priorities for our facility dog:
Our facility dog will work with the children of the 16th Judicial District who are being served by the staff at the James M. Barrie Center for Children. While most of the dog’s work will be done at the James Barrie Center for Children, he may accompany child victims/witnesses at any of the courthouses in the district, when needed. The presence of our dog in any courtroom will be at the discretion of the presiding judge.
Patricia Falcon, handler of our courthouse facility dog, and Executive Director of the James M. Barrie Center for Children, Inc., per her agreement with the provider of the dog, Canine Companions, will have complete discretion over the use of the dog in all circumstances, taking into account the needs of the child and the availability of the dog. Our dog is available for any child who can demonstrate the need, whether the child is a witness for the state or the defense in a given proceeding. Etowah County proceedings and agency needs for the dog will however take precedence when making final determinations of the availability of the dog to work. In addition, our dog will be available to assist neighboring county Child Advocacy Center victims when specially requested.
