Zebra’s primary goal is to assist a child (when there are allegations of physical or sexual abuse) as he or she journeys through the criminal justice system. For many kids, telling the story of abuse is the most difficult part of the process, but it is often the most important.
Zebra’s Very Important Paws (VIP) initiative introduces trained Labrador Retrievers at a critical junction of a child abuse investigation that involves the interview with the child. The VIP dogs help to build the children’s comfort levels at moments that can be fraught with stress, anxiety and traumatizing memories. The dogs act as a warm and furry buffer between the interviewer and the child, acting as physical companions as well as compassionate listeners.
“What the dogs really provide is comfort, allowing the child to get past the anxiety of having to tell a very painful story,” says Carolyn Thom, Specialized Investigator and Dog Handler. “I met with one child who was nervous and scared to talk about what had happened. But, as soon as I left the room, she leaned down and told the whole story to our dog, and her comments were recorded on video. It was absolutely amazing.”
The VIP dogs are a mother and daughter team named Fossey and Wren, two Yellow Labs ages five and three, who arrived at the Zebra Centre in July 2013. The VIP dogs are accredited work dogs owned by the Burnaby-based Public Assistance Dogs Society (PADS). Wren and Fossey were identified for this kind of assignment as young puppies. Along with their handlers, they received highly-specialized training to work with children and as partners in investigations.
The Zebra VIP initiative is the first program of its kind in Canada, modelled after the Courthouse Dogs program in the United States where dogs are brought in to calm children involved in the justice system. Funding for the Zebra VIP program was provided through grants from TD Bank and a donation from the Edmonton Urban Spirits Rotary Club. The Rotary Club has adopted the Zebra VIP program as its 10-year legacy initiative, and provided the financial resources to aid the Zebra Child Protection Centre in establishing a long-term relationship with PADS.
“The value of having Wren and Fossey at the Zebra Centre is enormous,” says Staff Sgt. Rob Paton with the EPS Child Protection Section. “Anything that we can do to assist children in telling their story is critical to the difficult investigative process that we deal with daily.”
For more information about Edmonton’s Zebra Child Protection Centre, please visit www.zebracentre.ca.