Rosalie, a service dog who works in the Bexar County Children's Court, sits to the right of her handler, Kathryn Walston.


Rosalie, a service dog who works in the Bexar County Children’s Court, sits to the right of her handler, Kathryn Walston.


Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News







The two-year-old’s screams echoed through the third floor of the building Bexar County Courthouse.




The boy wanted his mother. Child Protective Services they had divorced for six months, after which they were reunited. The mother was in the courtroom for a check-in. While she was in court, her son became agitated in the children’s waiting room. His cries for help alerted a judge, who investigated.




The boy refused treats and toys, court officials recalled. He was inconsolable – until Rosalie trotted into the room.





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The black Labrador-golden retriever mix played fetch with the boy, retrieving a small ball each time he threw it, and soon the child started giggling. When his mother arrived, he didn’t want to leave.




“I thought, ‘Jesus Christ, what’s going on?’” says Barbara Schafer, administrator of Bexar County Juvenile Courtrecalling the concern caused by the boy’s screams. “Then she (Rosalie) shows up, and all is well again in his little world.”




That’s the effect Rosalie can have on children. The 50-pound, two-year-old dog can turn lights on and off, pull a cart and help children solve puzzles. The dog now makes a regular appearance as a source of comfort and calm for children called before the Children’s Court to testify about abuse, neglect and other traumatic experiences.




Rosalie climbs onto the witness stand with concerned witnesses, sitting next to them or lying at their feet. They pet Rosalie while answering questions in the presence of almost strangers in an unfamiliar environment. She is a source of peace and calm when children interview with CPS investigators or prosecutors. Her supervisor, Kathryn “Katie” Walston, a risk coordinator for the Children’s Court, calls her an “angel.”



‘Unconditional love’




This week, county commissioners made Rosalie’s role official and approved a policy change to allow the dog to work in the courthouse as a “facility dog.” Rosalie started walking laps around the building last month to get used to the new environment.





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She has quickly become a celebrity in the courthouse.




“I can barely walk into the parking garage without someone wanting to say ‘hello’ to her because they heard there’s a dog at the courthouse,” Walston said. “It really just changes the whole energy of the courthouse from a scary, controversial place to a place with a friendly dog.”




In Texas, children as young as four can be brought into court as witnesses, 37th District Judge Nicole Garza said. It was her inspiration to bring a service dog to juvenile court.




Garza owns dogs, cats and four frogs and describes himself as “a big believer in the power of unconditional love, trust and peace that dogs can provide.”




‘You’re not alone’




Last week, a 17-year-old boy avoided eye contact in court while testifying about a painful experience that showed he needed a protective order against one of his parents, Garza said. “He was tearful and he was very rigid because it was an absolutely horrific account of an event that should never have happened to him,” the judge said.





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Garza called Rosalie. As the dog came closer, the teen’s body relaxed and his face softened. During pauses in his testimony, he ran his fingers through Rosalie’s black fur.




“I know this dog has brought some relief to the child,” Garza said. “There are all these strangers looking at you, and you have to testify against a person you’ve never met before, who is a stranger. But now you’re not alone.”




Rosalie came to the courthouse Dog companionsa national nonprofit organization that provides service dogs free of charge to people with disabilities and to schools, health care and criminal justice systems. The organization breeds service dogs to be calm and affectionate. Court officials submitted an application to Canine Companion for a service dog a year ago.




During the first 16 to 18 months of Rosalie’s life, a volunteer socialized her in various public and private settings. The dog then underwent a rigorous training program during which she learned the more than 300 commands she knows today.




Walston volunteered to become Rosalie’s full-time caregiver and underwent extensive training to become a certified dog handler. Canine Companions tried Walston with several dogs to assess their compatibility. She was eventually paired with Rosalie.





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The dog spends 20 hours a week at the courthouse and lives with Walston, who also has a 10-year-old English Labrador. Canine Companions technically owns Rosalie, but the animal will be committed to the Children’s Court for the rest of its life.



‘Transformational’




Rosalie’s power to relax those around her extends beyond children.




Garza recently witnessed a vivid example when she presided over a bitter child custody case. Each parent demanded full custody of a four-year-old child. At one point, the parents were “at each other’s throats,” arguing in the hallway, Garza recalled.




Hoping to defuse the situation, the judge asked for Rosalie.





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The parents’ mood immediately changed when the dog arrived. “The parents just got together,” Garza said. “They both sat here on the couch and had their picture taken with their child. And that’s the best we could have hoped for that day.”




Unaware of the resentment on display just minutes earlier, Walston thought she was witnessing an adoption and not a custody battle.




Juvenile court can be an intensely unhappy and stressful place, which is why Rosalie’s presence is so appreciated, says Schafer, the court administrator.




“There is nothing good in this courthouse. It’s divorce, child support, violence, insurance law, child abuse,” Schafer said. “She is transformative.”




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