Amazing Animals: Meet Charles, Canine Advocacy Chill Dude
10 Mar

Amazing Animals: Meet Charles, Canine Advocacy Chill Dude

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Usually calling someone a “lazy dog” is an insult, but for Charles it is an advantage. His handler Karen Alvord says “that’s what we need because we need him to stay calm and relaxed to help people stay calm and relaxed.” Charles provides invaluable service to children in court as part of the Canine Advocacy Program.

His mild, laid-back demeanor makes him a great Canine Advocacy Program participant. In fact, he was the first canine advocate in the program to work with the Prosecutor’s office. People working in the courts were initially wary of using canine advocates, but they have delivered results in helping crime victims feel at ease enough to provide reliable account of the tragic event and eventually testify in court. In a recent case with two seven-year-old girls, they were at first traumatized, but after a significant amount of time with Charles, they were able to testify conquer their anxiety enough in order to focus and provide legal agencies with the information they need to pursue a trial.

This three-year-old Labrador retriever works 40 hours a week and prefers to be paid in belly rubs. Most pictures of him show him on his back, his tongue hanging out, ready to be “paid” in belly rubs.

Other info: In the first three month of this year alone Charles has assisted in 1 trials, 11 victim interviews and 17 victim service meetings.

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