Monday, August 22nd, 2022
A True Best Friend
Court's therapy dog to aid emotional child cases
By William Kincaid
Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard
Annie, a roughly 14-week-old bernedoodle-great pyrenees mix, is working as a service/therapy dog for the Mercer County Juvenile Court system. She is being trained by Sandy Gerdeman at K9to5 Doggie Daycare in St. Marys.
CELINA - A new pint-sized officer is on duty with the Mercer County Juvenile Court, tasked with sniffing out and relieving emotional distress in children.
Annie, a roughly 14-week-old bernedoodle-great pyrenees mix, is working as a service/therapy dog for the juvenile court system. The lovable, congenial dog that is still undergoing training has already made inroads with kids under the court's supervision.
"She has latched onto a couple of kids that have come up through probation and been sitting there (in my office) and she has gone right over to them," said probate/juvenile court judge Matt Gilmore. "It really is amazing instincts for calming and that's what she's there for, to provide that calming presence for kids who are kind of in turmoil."
Gilmore believes this is the only county juvenile court in the state with a service/therapy dog.
"Will it solve every issue? Absolutely not. We're looking at whatever we can do to help and if this is a piece of that puzzle, I'm all for it," he added.
Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard
Mercer County Juvenile Court Probation Officer Jen Contreras interacts with Annie, the court's new service/therapy dog.
Probation officer Jen Contreras echoed those sentiments, saying Annie affords the court another tool, just like community service, counseling and restitution.
"This is another tool that we have and I think Mercer County Juvenile Court is in the forefront of things here especially in the state," she said. "Our Expanding Horizons Ripple Project program is just second to none. This is just something else."
Annie's purpose is to help alleviate stress, anxiety and emotional distress in children, whether they be in court, enrolled in probation programs or at school, Contreras said.
She was named after Celina Middle School Principal Ann Esselstein, a beloved and well-regarded educator who died March 18, 2020, following a three-year battle with cancer.
"We just thought it was a great tribute to her. She loved kids. She was part of our program. She had a huge impact on all of us," Contreras said.
Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard
Sandy Gerdeman of K9to5 Doggie Daycare in St. Marys rewards Annie while county probation officer Jen Contreras looks on.
The dog was acquired through an anonymous donor and is being training at Sandy Gerdeman's K9to5 Doggie Daycare in St. Marys, specifically through the business's Anything is Pawsable program. It trains dogs, starting as puppies, to be assistance dogs. The dogs are then donated to recipients in surrounding communities, free of charge.
"We have her starting to work. Sandy said that's the best way. Just get her in there. So we're getting her into schools," Contreras said. "She's been in all of Celina schools and she will be throughout all of Mercer County schools as long as all the superintendents agree to let her in."
The pup's primary duty is to recognize and attenuate distress in both children and adults.
"Statistics show that most of the kids that come through juvenile court have some sort of trauma, some sort of issue and maybe a lot of the kids have issues communicating," Contreras said.
Once Annie detects emotional pain, she is trained to come up and embrace the person.
"It will instantly calm them down," Contreras stressed. "It's just a natural thing. She'll go into school. If the kid's having a hard day or trouble, it's our hope that she comes up to them just like she is right now."
Annie also knows when the service dog vest is strapped onto her that it's time to work.
Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard
Mercer County probate/juvenile court judge Matt Gilmore plays with Annie, a roughly 14-week-old bernedoodle-great pyrenees mix.
"Her job to her is important," Gilmore said.
Gilmore said he was a bit hesitant when Contreras approached him with idea but eventually warmed up to it.
"Chad Sapp with the Mercer County ESC has one and when his kids come to court he brings the dog with them. So that was kind of our first introduction," Gilmore said.
Sapp is program coordinator of ESC's Community Learning Center, Rose Academy and remote learning. Sapp acquired Boston through K9to5 Doggie Daycare. The black labradoodle happily greets students when they arrive for school at programs hosted by the ESC.
"It was amazing to watch him work with those kids," Gimore said.
So far, Annie has proven to be a wonderful asset. She's well-behaved and unobtrusive, so much so Gilmore said he doesn't know when she's in his office half the time.
"She's a big fluff-ball and her disposition is so good," he said.
Gerdeman through her Anything is Pawsable program has trained roughly 16 assistance dogs that have helped families with foster children and individuals with disabilities, PTSD, cancer, anxiety and physical limitations. Some also have been trained to be therapy or emotional-support animals for hospitals, schools and nursing homes.
Puppies must go through an initial assessment before moving on to training.
"When we get to raise puppies for this program we have so many things to do with them right after birth," Gerdeman said. "One of the things is being able to turn them upside down like a baby. They must be able to have their ears messed with, their paws messed with, their tail messed with and have no reaction whatsoever."
The dog also must be laid back and not prone to hyperactivity or excessive jumping.
Annie is a perfect fit for the job, Gerdeman said.
"Dogs provide such comfort and love unconditionally to somebody," she said.
Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard
Annie, a roughly 14-week-old bernedoodle-great pyrenees mix, is working as a service/therapy dog for the Mercer County Juvenile Court system. She is being trained by Sandy Gerdeman at K9to5 Doggie Daycare in St. Marys.
Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard
Annie, a roughly 14-week-old bernedoodle-great pyrenees mix, is working as a service/therapy dog for the Mercer County Juvenile Court system. She is being trained by Sandy Gerdeman at K9to5 Doggie Daycare in St. Marys.
The juvenile court system is responsible for handling Annie. At night, the dog goes home with Contreras.
Contreras and the juvenile court system have also partnered with K9to5 Doggie Daycare in another way by adding it to the Ripple Project program that provides community service opportunities for juveniles.
"This summer we work in the garden out at the fairgrounds, kids are doing the dog program over here. We do all kind of things. We do a cross-fit program," she said.
Starting in June, a group of five or more children under the court's jurisdiction began coming to K9to5 Doggie Daycare up to three times a week to work with the dogs.
"We work with the dogs. (Sandy's) teaching us about her dogs personally, the dogs that come in here and are boarded," Contreras said. "Our kids go in and they'll clean the stalls and they'll walk the dogs and they play with the dogs and they sit with the dogs. It's therapeutic for the dogs and our kids."
Gerdeman said she's very proud of how the kids have taken to their responsibilities.
"Understanding the learning of dog behavior to what a proper greeting is all the way to grooming and training and everything in between," Gerdeman said of the students' work. "So they have really helped us out a lot as well as I'm hoping that it helped them."
One of the students said her favorite activity is walking the dogs.
"I love spending time with the dogs and getting to know each dog," she said.
Officials are always looking to add more adult chaperones and complete new community projects. In recent times they launched a collaboration with CrossFit Crave of Celina. The program offers a holistic approach to well-being that addresses a juvenile's physical, mental and emotional health, according to CrossFit Crave owner Matt Shindeldecker.
"This is another avenue and it's about exposing these kids to different things in hopes that something catches their interest," Gilmore said of the partnership with K9to5 Doggie Daycare. "Whatever we can do to break the cycle is what we need to do."
Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard
Annie, a roughly 14-week-old bernedoodle-great pyrenees mix, is working as a service/therapy dog for the Mercer County Juvenile Court system. She is being trained by Sandy Gerdeman at K9to5 Doggie Daycare in St. Marys.
