By Shannon McFarlin News Director
Paris, Tenn.—There are new therapy dogs at the Henry County Juvenile Court and they’re unlike any therapy dogs you’ve seen before.
They are Maisy and Tessa. Maisey is a border collie and Tessa is a chihuahua, which are breeds you don’t normally find serving in that capacity. But in the case of Maisey and Tessa, they’re perfect for the job.
The dogs belong to Kathy Visser of Paris, who brings them to court along with her sister Judy Gengler whenever there are hearings involving children. A local veterinary clinic, Mineral Wells Animal Clinic, has been the angel in the background taking care of the canines.
Judge Vicki Snyder has been an early proponent of using therapy dogs in her court. She has had several already, beginning with Tanner, a golden retriever, then Bonnie, an all-American mutt, and Chloe, a poodle.
Snyder explained, “Children are not in court very often and when they are, there often is a great deal of anxiety on their part and I’ve found that having the dogs in court is very helpful to them.”
The dogs are used in a few different ways: When an adult has to appear in Juvenile Court they often have to bring their small children with them and the dogs can keep them occupied while they are waiting for the hearings to be over. The dogs also are a calming influence on children who are called upon to testify in court or who are victims of crimes.
“The role that the dogs play is different with every child,” Snyder said. “We’ve even had the dogs sit right in the witness stand with children while they’re testifying. That has really helped in several situations to calm the children down.”
You can see the impact that Maisey and Tessa have on children at court by the way the children—and even teenagers—run to them when they see them. Snyder noted one young female victim just laid down beside Maisey and put her head on her like a pillow while she was in court.
“Different children respond differently,” Snyder said. “Most respond really well. There are some that might be afraid of dogs and we don’t bring the dogs around them. We’re very sensitive to how each child reacts.”
Unlike many border collies, Maisey is very laid back and seems to be in a constant state of relaxation and Tessa is an affectionate little dog who seems to love everybody.
Visser said she first started taking Maisey to local nursing homes to visit residents a few years ago and realized how good she was with people. Maisey is nine years old with a bit of arthritis and is retired from her earlier job on a farm.
Visser said Maisey was a herding dog at a local farm and when her companion dog died, she lost interest in doing that anymore. “So, really, we just gave her a new job,” Visser said.
The good people at Mineral Wells Animal Clinic are sponsoring Maisey and Tessa. Visser said, “All of the medical needs for both dogs are taken care of by Mineral Wells and that really helps a lot.”
Judge Snyder also applauded the dedication of Mineral Wells Animal Clinic to the program. “They have helped us –and the dogs—so much in making this a success,” she said.
Photo: Judge Snyder with new therapy dogs Maisy and Tessa. (Shannon McFarlin photo).
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