Harper, the canine Advocate

​Imagine you’re a child, and a grownup has done something very bad to you. You’re hurt, you’re confused, you’re scared. Then you’re taken to an office where you know you’re going to have to bring up the awful memories again. The grownups at the office are all nice, but you still don’t want to be there.

Harper brings a tissue.

​Then all of a sudden you look down and see a little fuzzy grey dog trot into the room and light up when she sees you. She jumps up on the couch and licks your hand as you scratch her ears. While you’re waiting for your appointment, she picks a book for you to read. You sniffle as you start thinking about the bad things again and she brings you a tissue.

When it’s time for you to go you ask her if she’ll be here next time you come. She presses the button that enthusiastically says “YES YES YES,” and then hands you a trading card with her picture on it so you’ll remember her.

​​This is just another day in the life of Harper, the Canine Advocate at the Limestone Child Advocacy Center (LCAC) in Athens, AL, who I have had the privilege of training and handling for the past two years.

Harper and Becky representing the LCAC during the Earth Day Festival at Athens State University.

​Harper has many jobs at the LCAC, but her official position is Facility Dog. Facility Dogs are a category of working dogs who provide comfort and support to individuals in one specific organization. Facility Dogs generally live with a staff member where they work (Harper is owned by Becky Bentley, the Executive Director of the LCAC). Facility Dogs are not service dogs or therapy dogs; they may only go to public places when they’re invited. Harper has attended events at Athens High School, Athens State University, and the Limestone County Courthouse, to name a few, as a representative of the LCAC.

​The LCAC functions as a safe place for children who have been abused to tell their stories to accomplish justice and healing. Kids come to the LCAC for Forensic Interviews where they can tell their story of the abuse; for trauma therapy where they learn how to deal with the aftermath of the abuse. The LCAC even gives support for the rest of their family who is also traumatized by the abuse. All of these services are free of cost, so the LCAC is funded by grants, fundraisers, and private donations.

As the Canine Advocate, Harper’s job duties are varied, but most kids first meet her when she snuggles up to them and lets them pet her in the waiting room. But her job duties go much further than just getting petted. Harper does Animal Assisted Therapy, which means that she has been trained to perform behaviors specifically to help the kids in trauma therapy.

“Do you miss your mom sometimes?” the shy boy asks Harper. 
“Yes” she answers by choosing to paw the YES button.
”I do too,” he quietly responds, as she curls up in his lap for petting.

When kids need extra encouragement, Harper gives them a fist bump when they share a story. Some kids need help sitting still and focusing, so Harper plays a game of Pick Up Sticks with them to get them warmed up before their session. Sometimes kids have a hard time verbalizing what they’re feeling, so Harper breaks the ice by pawing a Feelings Card to show how she feels. ​​

​Animal Assisted Therapy is a growing field, and dogs like Harper are on the forefront when it comes to Animal Assisted Therapy in the field of Mental Health.

​For Harper, though, the road to becoming the Canine Advocate was not easy. Harper grew up during the Covid Pandemic when the LCAC was conducting therapy sessions virtually.

But since that time, with regular training sessions, she’s received titles and is now a Canine Good Citizen and Certified Trick Dog. Her social media pages bring attention, and much-welcomed donations, to the LCAC, and with that the LCAC has been able to greatly expand the quantity and effectiveness of the work they’ve done with her.​

Are you interested in training a Facility Dog to do Animal Assisted Therapy in your workplace? Contact me to get started! With degrees in Psychology and Social Work and over 15 years’ experience training service dogs, I’m uniquely qualified to do the creative training required for this kind of work. If you’re in the field of child advocacy or on your county’s Multidisciplinary Team, you can also check out Harper, Becky, and Me as we present our work with Animal Assisted Therapy at the Connecting for Children’s Justice conference in Nashville, TN in November.