T.O. courts welcome Iggy, a facility dog for victimized youth
On the 11th floor of 890 Yonge St. lies wunderdog Iggy. He’s sleepy but still eager to show off his toys, begging for belly rubs and rolling onto his back with an orange plush fox in his mouth.
At 2 years old, Iggy — a Labrador-Bernese Mountain Dog cross — is not like most dogs.
When ambulance sirens blare past below, he doesn’t flinch. He’s uniquely obedient, too. There’s the usual set of commands: up, off, sit, lie down.
“He’s very, very intuitive. He seems to know what kids need.” KARYN KENNEDY BOOST CEO
But there are others as well. He doesn’t walk until his dog-mom Karyn Kennedy says “forward.” When she says “visit,” he immediately rises and rests his head in her lap.
These are the commands that make Iggy a friend to even the most timid children.
Iggy, trained by National Service Dogs, is the first dog approved to support children in Toronto courts.
He’ll work with the Boost Child and Youth Advocacy Centre to guide victims through the court process’s interviews with police, medical exams and testimonies.
Iggy has been trained to provide light pressure by putting his head in a child’s lap or deep pressure by lying across them. It’s his job to help boost a child’s sense of security and reduce anxiety through snuggles or reassuring nudges.
The dogs that are picked for the Boost Accredited Reliable K9s (BARK) program are calm by nature, according to Danielle Forbes, the National Service Dogs’ executive director.
“These children have suffered abuse and trauma. They can tend to be closed down, talking to adults especially if those adults seem big and scary and especially in a court situation that is very official,” Forbes said. “(Iggy’s) amazing at breaking down those barriers. (He’s) a non-judgmental ear so the children can tell their story to the dog.”
Iggy’s behaviour acts as a model for the children to follow while in court.
“If a dog is in there and they’re super chill, the children will tend to go there with them and feed off that low-energy, relaxed persona,” Forbes said.
Interviewers can use Iggy to redirect a child’s attention too.
“What I’ve seen personally is they’ll give the dog little kisses on the head and pet him and hug him. As they get more comfortable and more relaxed the story comes out,” Forbes added.
Iggy is Boost’s second special canine. His friend Jersey recently began working out of their Peterborough office.
The pair were bred by National Service Dogs, raised by volunteers from eight weeks to 18 months and then brought into kennels where they were trained by paid professionals. By two years old they were designated to Boost.
Kennedy, who is also Boost’s CEO, has been Iggy’s handler since April. They ride the train to work together.
Kennedy looks after Iggy’s busy schedule and makes sure he’s groomed and ready to go when Boost’s police officers (who work in the office on rotating shifts), children’s aid workers or court workers need him.
All of the area judges have met Iggy and approved him for service in their courtrooms.
“The kids love him, especially the adolescents, which we weren’t really expecting,” Kennedy said.
Sponsored by the Canadian Pet Expo, Iggy will meet visitors as part of the Facility Dog Team at the Sept. 9-10 convention.
A portion of the expo’s proceeds go to supporting both of Boost’s Ontario court dogs so that their services can be provided at no cost.
“In today’s day and age whether it be stress, poor diets, poor sleeping, everybody needs that little bit of support,” said Grant Crossman, the expo’s director. “For kids, (Boost is) a phenomenal program for their PTSD.”
On Sept. 11, Iggy will make the first of many appearances in court.
“He’ll do this for the next 8-10 years and then he’ll retire,” Kennedy said, smiling. “He’s an amazing dog. I’ve had dogs my whole life, I’ve never had a dog like this before. He’s very, very intuitive. He seems to know what kids need. There’s something really special about him.”