The Village Pump - 24 Oct 2025 - Page 18 - OUT & ABOUT
Rotary Club of Samford Valley
Thank you Samford!
The Samford community, via The Rotary Club of Samford Valley, received a special mention at the official swearing-in of Court Dog Leo at the Federal Circuit and Family Court (FCFCOA) in Brisbane recently.
Regular readers may recall that our Rotary Club was keen to support the National Court Dogs Program as a way of raising awareness of, and supporting, victims of domestic and family violence. Our club made a donation of $5000 towards the program which, followed by substantial donations from the Family Law Practitioners Association of Qld and the Qld Law Society, helped provide an expertly trained facility dog for the Brisbane Registry. Brisbane now has our very own Court support dog, Leo. A graduate of the Guide Dogs Qld training program, Leo was selected for his gentle nature and temperament that made him paw-fect for the role.
Leo’s job is to be a calming presence for adults and children who have to appear and/or give evidence in court. At the ceremony Justice Brasch spoke about how going to court can be stressful but having a Court Dog, like Leo, present can make the whole court experience easier and more trauma sensitive. Leo has been trained to recognise signs of anxiety and to provide a comforting presence – he may put his head in their lap, or provide a head to pat or a velvety ear to rub. The Court Dog can also be booked to accompany someone who has to give evidence. Just holding the dog’s lead or having it sit on their feet can help the person to relax or provide a positive distraction which allows them to give better evidence. Judge Firth of the FCFCOA, recently spoke at a Rotary dinner saying that according to a recent survey of court users (including litigants, judges, lawyers and other staff) who have come into contact with court dogs, there was overwhelming support with 100 percent reporting they felt supported by their presence and 77% felt less nervous. This is a real way that we can support victims of family violence.
The Samford Rotary Club plans to stay in touch with Court Dog Leo and his Carer, Judge Firth. We hope to organise a “meet & greet” in the near future when we’ll get to hear about the great work Leo has been doing in the Brisbane Registry to help make the court experience a more positive one for all involved. We think you are paws-itively awesome, Leo, and we are lucky to have you!
Carol Robinson
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