Toowoomba Childrens Court benefits from therapy dog Hope

A three-year-old labradoodle is using her calming presence to de-escalate potentially volatile court scenarios.

There’s very few problems a dog can’t solve, and Hope the therapy dog has been lending a helping paw to provide calm to Toowoomba Childrens Court.

The three-year-old labradoodle has been training to become a therapy dog since she was a puppy, and with her curly black coat and soft floppy ears she has been a relaxing presence to young people waiting to appear in court.

Toowoomba mother-of-five and Hope’s handler Vanessa Curtis has been volunteering to circulate through the court’s waiting room of a Thursday for the past five weeks and said Hope has had a calming influence.

“It’s quite an intense atmosphere at times and so she really helps to help relax people,” she said.

“Hope doesn’t care what these kids have done or who they are or why they’re there, she just loves them and I think it’s that love that helps.”

Ms Curtis said a recent incident highlighted the power that Hope has in de-escalating potentially volatile scenarios.

“(The young people were) waiting in the lobby for hours, waiting to be called in, and they started pushing and shoving each other,” Ms Curtis said.

“Then the security guards step in but that just makes it worse because they are an authoritarian figure.

“I said ‘hey guys, anyone here like dogs?’ and approached with Hope and all these big tough teenagers – charged with all sorts of serious crimes – just dropped to the floor and were smooching the dog.

“Everyone thought it was amazing and security backed away.”

Hope, the three-year-old labradoodle, has been volunteering with her handler Vanessa Curtis at Toowoomba Children's Court to de-escalate the behaviour of youth in the lobby as they wait to appear in court.

Hope is still in training to be a therapy dog, and Ms Curtis said the goal was to one day help soothe abused children while they give evidence to police or the court.

Toowoomba South MP David Janetzki said Ms Curtis and Hope’s volunteering had made a marked difference to the weekly Childrens Court sittings over the past five weeks.

“Magistrates, police, security and staff have commented how much of a positive difference Vanessa and Hope’s presence makes,” Mr Janetzki said.

“Prior to public life I spent a lot of time around courtrooms as a lawyer and I know the pressure of a courtroom environment.

“Hope takes some of the pressure off that atmosphere and to have Hope there with young people in that environment is a really important thing.”

Mr Janetzki said he would love to see similar programs across the state.

Ms Curtis’ sister Nadine Wright is the founder of Hope for Our Children which raises awareness for the plight of foster children in Toowoomba.

Ms Curtis said her sister highlighted the fact that children who had been abused or neglected were at greater risk of committing crimes and entering the youth justice system. Young people involved in the child protection system are 12 times more likely than other children to be under youth justice supervision.

“Some of these kids have lived through a life of trauma and are now facing the consequences,” Ms Curtis said.

“They weren’t born as little babies who couldn’t wait to start graffitiing and stealing cars,” she said.

“I find the boys in particular are responding really well to Hope, she is a positive distraction for them.”

Originally published as Toowoomba Childrens Court benefits from therapy dog Hope