The Morris County Surrogate Court has turned to Man's Best Friend to help comfort clients as they begin to manage the grief of losing a loved one or the anxiety of other legal proceedings.
Launched last month, the innovative program enlists pet therapy dogs to visit the Morristown office of the county Surrogate, which assists people probating a will or estate or dealing with guardianships, adoptions and other stressful situations.
The animals are on hand for both clients and court staff on a biweekly basis at the office, which is in the county administration building next to the Courthouse in Morristown.
Heather Darling, elected last year to a second term as Surrogate, is a passionate canine-lover who hopes the trained therapy dogs, provided by a local nonprofit, can do for those in her charge what her beloved pets have done for her.
Following a dry run in December and two inaugural visits last month, tails are wagging at the initial response.
“As much as our clients like it, my staff love it,” Darling told the Daily Record. “It gives them a break from a job that's really hard. They're dealing with grief all day. So something like this lightens the load a little bit.”
Surrogate Court Office Manager Christina Ramirez confirmed the cold noses of their new volunteers have warmed hearts, recalling a February visit by one of the dogs.
“Everyone was pretty excited,” Ramirez recalled. “A number of folks who came in wanted to see the dog. A group of auditors were here that day and they appreciated it, too. And of course, the staff loved it. This can be tough work. I think this program makes a difference.”
Therapy dog program taps volunteers
The certified therapy dogs are locally sourced from the Madison-based nonprofit Creature Comfort Pet Therapy, which provides a variety of animals for therapeutic purposes.
Creature Comfort Executive Director Mary Beth Cooney said the organization, which was founded in 2011, provides pet therapy to about 300 different facilities with about 260 volunteer teams, which are comprised of a private pet owner and their pet, both of whom undergo certification training.
“We did 7,000 visits last year, and we touched about 150,000 people,” Cooney said,
The group visits nursing homes, public and private schools, libraries, hospitals, children's services, hospices, mental health centers and veterans programs.
“We are very pleased to be working with the Morris County Surrogates Office,” Cooney said. “We feel these animals can help people with a healing comfort that is very unique − and scientifically proven. We know they can help with duress and anxiety. They just calm people.”
Creature Comfort charges a nominal fee for their service. The Surrogate Court is paying $40 for 90-minute sessions.
Therapy cats, rabbits, a goat and guinea pigs are also currently available for therapy through Creature Comfort.
“They have other animals, but we are dog-lovers here,” said Ramirez, the Surrogate Court manager.
Meet the Surrogate's top dogs
So far, the court has gotten an assist from four-legged volunteers named Stormy and Mulligan.
Darling spoke of the program during a telephone interview while hiking atop the Delaware Water Gap with her two dogs.
“I'm out therapizing them right now,” Darling said. “They're therapizing me, too.”
She said that when her own father died, “I had my dog and that was what made me feel good.”
Darling is fond of Rottweilers − she's currently the proud mom of two husky “rescue Rots” − and has extended her love to creating her own dog-rescue program, mostly bringing unwanted canines from the South and finding foster families for them here.
“Since last April, we've saved 12 dogs and placed them in good homes.” Darling said.
Therapy dog schedule
Darling hopes to expand her own volunteer rescue program and is equally eager to expand the pet therapy program in her office as demand dictates. For now, the dogs are scheduled to visit from 10:30 a.m. to noon on the second Tuesday and last Thursday of the month. The schedule will soon be added to the Surrogate Office website so clients can choose to schedule their business for those times, or not.
“We're learning as we go,” Darling said. “And if we find they are filling up, we'll start adding days. Step it up as needed.”
Ramirez is convinced of the program's value after witnessing just one interaction between a grieving mother and a therapy dog, noticing the woman was crying and smiling at the same time.
“Your heart just melted,” Ramirez said. “That dog brought her a lot of comfort. That was the moment I knew this was going to be really good for these folks.”
She added praise for the owners of the dogs who volunteer their time − and their pets.
“They are wonderful and so gracious to share their dog with us,” Ramirez said. “It's pretty phenomenal.”
Cooney said her organization is always looking for more volunteer humans and animals. Visit their website for more information.
