Meet Coalbie, Greene juvenile court无毛视频檚 new therapy dog
One of the newest members of the Greene County Juvenile Court staff is a furry, four-legged assistant that happily greets every person walking into the historic courtroom.
Coalbie, an affable, affectionate, 17-month-old beagle mix who was adopted from the Greene County Humane Society, is a therapy dog. She was granted permission by President Judge Louis Dayich to start work on Dec. 1, and since then has provided comfort and support to children during court proceedings.
Coalbie无毛视频檚 handler is Aaron Houser, executive director of Growing Up Greene, a Greene County nonprofit children无毛视频檚 advocacy organization that launched a pilot Pup Program that aims to curb childhood trauma.
无毛视频淪he has been a fixture in juvenile court since December, and we are already seeing the impact she is having on the kids, and I find it to be amazing to watch,无毛视频� said Houser. 无毛视频淭here have been situations where having Coalbie by their side has given children the confidence to speak up in court. We have had instances of children becoming emotional during a court hearing and Coalbie immediately registers that they无毛视频檙e stressed or nervous and gives me the signal that she wants to go visit them.无毛视频�
Coalbie then quietly walks over to gently place her head on a knee or lean into a body. In return, she gets hugs and pats from some of the youngest and most fragile victims in the judicial process.
Coalbie, who Houser adopted, is the first dog in Greene County to attend Children and Youth Services court cases.
无毛视频淲e are now seeing the first children she interacted with return to the courtroom for review hearings. The fear of that old building isn无毛视频檛 there anymore, and 无毛视频榃here is Coalbie?无毛视频� is the first question they ask when they come off the elevator,无毛视频� Houser said.
Houser pitched the idea for a therapy dog to join the juvenile court无毛视频檚 staff shortly after he took the helm at Growing Up Greene.
Years earlier, he had encountered Penny, a canine court advocate for Pittsburgh无毛视频檚 Crisis Center North who comforts domestic violence victims, when he worked for a nonprofit domestic violence agency.
无毛视频淒ogs make people feel better just by their presence,无毛视频� said Houser.
But what sold Houser was the day Penny comforted him in the courtroom when he was having a rough time.
无毛视频淣ot only did I witness Penny working with domestic violence victims, but there was a rough day for me where she picked me out of the courtroom and shielded me from the rest of the room. Nobody knew it was a bad day for me, but she did,无毛视频� he recalled. 无毛视频淪he was able to read me and know that I needed her that day. I became a believer in providing therapy dogs in the right circumstances.无毛视频�
Coalbie, too, has that sensitivity and intuitiveness to read people and situations, Houser said.
In 2022, Growing Up Greene established an advisory committee with a grant from the Staunton Farm Foundation.
When the program got the green light, Growing Up Greene enlisted Lyn Trapuzzano of Off Leash K9 Training in Washington to search for and train a shelter dog.
Houser said the decision to adopt a shelter dog was easy.
无毛视频淪he was a foster kid, too, and she connects with children immediately,无毛视频� said Houser.
Houser and Growing Up Greene Board Vice President Keshia Weaver said they knew by the end of their meeting with Coalbie at the humane society that the puppy 无毛视频� the first dog they visited 无毛视频� was the perfect fit.
Weaver无毛视频檚 3-year-old son, who had played with Coalbie for more than half an hour, began to cry after falling while running, scraping his knee. Coalbie, Weaver said, walked over to her son and put her head on his shoulder.
无毛视频淐oalbie knew what my son needed in that moment. She comforted him and sat by his side until he felt better,无毛视频� said Weaver. 无毛视频淲e were speechless and we knew that we had witnessed something special. We knew right then that Coalbie was the right fit.无毛视频�
CONSOL Cares Foundation volunteered to sponsor the Pup Program and to cover expenses for Coalbie无毛视频檚 training and care for four years.
The foundation, established in 2019 by coal-based CONSOL Energy, held a naming contest, and Coalbie 无毛视频� a nod to the company and the Greene County community 无毛视频� won.
Coalbie excelled at obedience and therapy training, where she was presented with the American Kennel Club无毛视频檚 Canine Good Citizen Award. At the same time, Growing Up Greene was certified as a Therapy Dog Team, and Houser after staff completed the Therapy Dogs United therapy evaluation.
Coalbie has additional tasks. She spends time with children who are housed in Growing Up Greene无毛视频檚 Emergency Overnight Housing shelter, where Houser无毛视频檚 office is located.
She also is available to visit Greene County school districts when she无毛视频檚 needed for emotional support, such as grief counseling.
Beth Booker, Greene County CYS Administrator, said Coalbie and the Pup Program are making a real difference.
无毛视频淲e are always looking for better resources for the children we serve. Child trauma is something that all of our partners are trying to reduce. Coalbie has boosted morale within our office, and she has calmed children during contentious court hearings. We are seeing the benefit of her work right before our eyes,无毛视频� said Booker.
When Coalbie isn无毛视频檛 working, she unwinds at home with Houser, his wife, Emily, and their sons, Tennessee and Ransom. She loves playing with the Housers无毛视频� other rescue dog, Oakley, a beagle mix six months her senior.
On a recent Thursday in juvenile court, Coalbie spent time with nearly a dozen children before noon, staying by their sides while they were inside the courtroom and hanging out with them in the lobby when they left the proceedings.
In Houser无毛视频檚 office, she delicately sprawled out and napped.
无毛视频淪he enjoys her naps throughout the day, and she earns them,无毛视频� said Houser. 无毛视频淪he is on the clock typically from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and especially on days when we have engaged with kids at court or at the CYS office, then will come back and take a nap. You can almost see the emotional drain it takes on her.无毛视频�
Coalbie has a TikTok page. And she has a book, Coalbie: A Foster Care Story, written by Houser, who collaborated with Waynesburg University professor Ashlee Shafer, and illustrated by Greene County artist Grace Black. The book tells the story of Coalbie无毛视频檚 time in the puppy welfare system, an analogy for children facing the same challenges. All proceeds from the sale of the book are donated to Growing Up Greene.
Houser believes there are other benefits to having Coalbie around the courthouse, a place where people often are dealing with difficult moments in their lives.
无毛视频淓veryone loves to see Coalbie, including the staff. She lifts everyone无毛视频檚 spirits,无毛视频� Houser said.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 not naive enough to think one program will solve these kids无毛视频� problems,无毛视频� he added. 无毛视频淚 have no doubt these kids are still worried, but now they have this furry friend who wants to engage with them. These kids know that, with Coalbie alongside them, they无毛视频檙e not alone.无毛视频�