MADISON CO., Ill. – The Madison County, Illinois courthouse is getting a four-legged, furry friend.
Fitz, a highly trained facility dog will join the courthouse this week.
On March 18, the court’s three specially selected handlers began receiving their extensive training at Duo Dogs.
After the second day of training, Duo Dogs paired the best suited dog with the handlers, which happened to be Fitz, who is a Labrador Retriever.
“Fitz will be an amazing resource for children and adults in courtroom situations and those in need of comfort and support. Oftentimes, the children in our courts are directly or indirectly involved in cases and we want them to just be kids and not worry about everything going on in the courtroom,” Judge Schuette said.
“We are honored to be selected to receive the first facility dog for our courts from Duo Dogs in St. Louis. Fitz has been specially trained for two years to provide calm and empathetic emotional support to those caught up in difficult situations. We are grateful to Duo Dogs for selecting us to receive this wonderful addition, to the Madison County Bar Association for their financial support for our dog, and to Veterinarian, Dr. Daniel Buller, at Bethalto Animal Clinic P.C. for agreeing to provide free veterinarian care and services for our dog,” Chief Judge Hylla said.
