Login
Therapy dog Poppy ‘sworn into’ Melbourne court
The adorable therapy dog, Poppy, has been given a very important job in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.
Naomi Neilson
For five days a week, Guide Dogs-trained Poppy will be working around the Melbourne registry with her handler to offer vital support to litigants and children involved in family law proceedings.
“This is the first time a therapy or facility dog has been used in Australian federal courts, and backed by behavioural science and the experiences of courts all around the world, the benefits to litigants will be significant,” Chief Justice Alstergren said.
Poppy has the enormous job of providing comfort and emotional support, giving a sense of normalcy, assisting with communication, and providing a healthy distraction from trauma responses by being a loveable and physical source of calming touch.
Thanks to the Victorian Bar and its foundation, Poppy can do this in the court foyer and waiting rooms, as well as inside the courtroom, meditation rooms and during Court Children Services interviews.
Victorian Bar Foundation chairman Judge John Digby said they are “proud and delighted” to welcome Poppy.
Chief Justice Will Alstergren and Judge John Digby with Poppy. Credit: Supplied.
“The Victorian Bar Foundation is confident that Poppy will be a supportive and calming presence within the court for those Victorian families facing the difficult and stressful experience of a family law dispute,” Judge Digby said.
“We believe Poppy is a most worthwhile initiative of Chief Justice Alstergren and the Federal Circuit and Family Court.”
This follows a pilot program that ran between November 2022 and February 2023 with court dog Lucy.
A survey of the program found that 100 per cent of people agreed that having a court dog was positive, that they or their client felt supported, and they or their client would likely request the support of a court facility dog if they had to attend court again.
Guide Dogs Victoria’s general manager of dog and vision services, Dr Russell Harrison, said puppies like Poppy have the same training as other dogs but are often not suited to be fully qualified guide dogs.
But Poppy has the “perfect nature” to assist as a therapy dog.
“I have worked with Poppy to ensure she is up to the task, and I know she will have an incredibly positive impact on the wellbeing of people navigating the Family Court system,” Dr Harrison said.
Another court dog, Zoe, will join the Hobart registry in the next couple of months. Chief Justice Alstergren said he hopes the courts can secure funding to extend this program across the country.
“We are extremely thankful to Guide Dogs Victoria and the Victorian Bar Foundation for their incredible support for this initiative,” he said.
“I am very pleased to honorarily ‘swear in’ Poppy.”
Naomi Neilson
Naomi Neilson is a senior journalist with a focus on court reporting for Lawyers Weekly.
You can email Naomi at:
