Times Chronicle & Public Spirit
Comfort dog Nutmeg meets county officials
11-month-old Goldendoodle joins Child Advocacy Project
NORRISTOWN » Offering her paw in a show of affection, Nutmeg eagerly greeted Montgomery County President Judge Carolyn Tornetta Carluccio during the canine’s first visit to the courthouse where she’s ready to work as a comfort dog.
“She’s absolutely beautiful. She’s loving. She has certainly taken away a little stress that I’m feeling right now. As soon as she walks into any room, everybody is drawn to her. She leans in, you can tell she wants to be up against someone,” Carluccio gushed as Nutmeg nuzzled up against her as they met in the judge’s chambers. “It’s just a blessing for this court, this community, to have the advantage of a therapy dog, someone like Nutmeg. I can only see positive things coming from this experience.”
Nutmeg, an 11-month-old Goldendoodle, was recently adopted by the Montgomery Child Advocacy Project, the nonprofit group formed two decades ago that provides free legal representation and social services to children
who are victims or witnesses of abuse and neglect.
Mary J. Anders, Nutmeg’s handler who is deputy executive director of MCAP, explained the agency acquired the comfort dog from New Hope Assistance Inc., a nonprofit organization located in Warren County that trains assistance dogs for both children and adults.
“They matched her with us. She’s a great fit for us,
she’s a people person. It’s been great,” said Anders, a former county detective who also worked as the public safety investigator and education officer at Cabrini University in Radnor. “She just wants to be loving.”
When she’s not wearing her blue “Service Dog In Training” vest, Nutmeg is “just like a regular puppy,” said Anders, with whom Nutmeg will live.
“She’s jumping around, playing with her ball. Then when I get her dressed she’s ready to go to work. She follows commands,” said Anders as Nutmeg waited for and followed the command that allowed her to initiate contact with the judge.
Before coming to MCAP, Nutmeg’s training included a stint at the State Correctional Institution at Pine Grove as part of a prison puppy training program run by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections.
Bringing a smile to everyone she meets, the compassionate and playful Nutmeg is also hypoallergenic.
“She’s going to be seeing different kids, different people, so we have to be mindful of that,” Anders said.
Children are referred to MCAP by the Court of Common Pleas, the district attorney’s office, the public defender, district judges, police departments, social service agencies and Mission Kids, a child advocacy center for abused children.
“We will have her available to all of our collaborators and to any victim or witness to a crime that needs the support of a comfort dog,” explained Mary C. Pugh, executive director of MCAP. “Being in court, testifying, the whole legal process, is intimidating for adults. For children, it’s overwhelming and she just adds that layer of comfort and that layer of security that an animal can bring. She definitely comes with that unique talent.”
County officials have long recognized the invaluable support, unconditional love and peace that comfort dogs can provide for crime victims and other witnesses when they have to testify in court. A therapy dog previously sponsored by the district attorney’s office at times lay at the feet of child victims in the witness box during trials, providing young witnesses comfort as they testified about unsettling, traumatic matters.
“I think Nutmeg is going to have an impact that will go well beyond anything that we can verbalize or put in writing,” Carluccio said as Nutmeg planted numerous kisses on her chin. “MCAP being behind it is so important.”
As the newest staff member at MCAP, Nutmeg has already lifted the spirits of the child advocates during stressful times, Anders said.
At MCAP, volunteer lawyers support and protect frightened, overwhelmed children as they navigate the court system. The child advocates address the needs of children who are victims or witnesses in cases of family violence when the interests of the child are often in conflict with the rest of the family. The MCAP advocate acts as the child’s voice and their protector in the legal arena.
Currently, the organization has about 125 trained and dedicated volunteer lawyer advocates who donate about 7,400 hours each year to the children it serves.
Nutmeg will be available to comfort children who are being interviewed by child advocates or law enforcement and potentially be available for children when they come to court.
“There are going to be limits to where she can be and to how she can be seen and we will be very mindful of the rights of defendants when it comes to the utilization of a therapy dog like Nutmeg,” Carluccio explained. “I can see her being used behind the scenes. I can see her being used in the courtroom.
“I think it’s going to go a long way to helping children that have to face this really daunting experience in front of them. All the love and goodness we can give to those children, it’s amazing how much more a dog can give,” Carluccio added.
The nonprofit group used a grant from the Walmart Community Grant Program, offered through the local Walmart in West Norriton, as well as funds contributed by generous donors to purchase Nutmeg.
To learn more about MCAP or to make a contribution interested parties can visit the nonprofit organization’s web site at www.mcapkids.org