On July 30, 2018, the Chief Judge for the Twentieth Judicial Circuit signed Administrative Order 2.38, In re: Twentieth Judicial Circuit Therapy/Facility Dog Program, and subsequently promulgated uniform standards for the application process.

Court Therapy Dog Program – Twentieth Judicial Circuit

Purpose:
To provide emotional support and comfort to:

• Children under the age of 18 who are victims or witnesses,
• Persons with intellectual disabilities, and
• Victims or witnesses of sexual offenses during judicial or related legal proceedings.

Program Features:

• Therapy Dog Teams consist of trained volunteer dogs and their handlers.
• Each team is easily identified by a red vest with the Twentieth Judicial Circuit patch.
• Dogs and handlers are present outside the courtroom to provide support while individuals are waiting to testify or participate in proceedings.

Special Protections:

• This program aligns with laws or policies that allow special accommodations for vulnerable individuals involved in the justice system.
• Therapy animals or facility dogs may be used to help reduce trauma, stress, or anxiety.

PROVIDER APPLICATION

Any organization seeking approval to be added as an approved provider must submit the following information to Court Administration for the 20th Judicial Circuit.

A written request for approval, and

1. Company information, including:
   1. Years established
   2. Present services provided
   3. Number of therapy animals and facility dogs available, and their current certifications as set forth in Administrative Order 2.38
   4. Availability of handlers to provide proper services
   5. Any additional information demonstrating the organization’s ability to comply with the terms and conditions of Administrative Order 2.38
2. Proof of proper insurance, as required by Administrative Order 2.38

Once the request is received, it will be submitted to the Chief Judge for review.

DOWNLOADS

• Form A - Oath Of Confidentiality
• Form B - Acknowledgement Of Terms & Conditions
• Form C - Incident Report Form
• Approved List Therapy-Service Providers under Administrative Order 2.38

RELATED LINKS

• Administrative Order 2.38
• Florida Statutes

CONTACT INFORMATION

Operations Division
Brooke E. Dean
Phone: (239) 533-1771
bdean@ca.cjis20.org

APPLICATION ADDRESS

Administrative Office of the Courts
Attn: Operations Division
Twentieth Judicial Circuit
1700 Monroe Street
Fort Myers, FL 33901