Quote:...she's an 8-year-old Labrador retriever. The King County prosecutor's office uses Ellie to help calm victims and witnesses of violent attacks. "When things got tough, she was able to focus on Ellie and describe the attack," Stephens said. "She told me that just holding the leash made her feel more in control."

"For a child, having the dog there (in court) can make a huge difference," Stephens said. The specially trained dogs provide a non-threatening presence for such victims, who may find it difficult to talk to an adult about a violent crime, she said.

In Houston, the Harris County Bar Association asked the district attorney's office to start its own courthouse dog program. The result was "Paws and Order: SDU," or special dog unit, launched in November.

"The dogs are meeting with children who have witnessed domestic violence," Hawkins said. "And it's just amazing to see the smile on their faces and how much less stress they have after playing with the dogs."

...Simon, her 2-year-old black Labrador, on an almost daily basis to help with interviews and court testimony of abused children and domestic violence victims.

"The dog is non-judgmental and is so soothing," said Silman, executive director of the Ozark Foothills Child Advocacy Center in Doniphan, Mo., which conducts pretrial interviews.