The road to court is stalked by metal detectors, juvenile detention and a host of other services that children and families encounter only on the worst of days.

To make it a little easier to get through those doors and everything beyond, the Coconino County Juvenile Court has added a few new officers.

A person wears a constant smile and dense curly fur. His name is Blue. He is a gregarious Labradoodle who will march straight to any newcomer and greet him snugly.

Blue is a mirror image of his handler, Lionel Scott, who often wears his K9 partner’s namesake collar from head to toe.

Scott is a juvenile court probation supervisor. In jeans and a Dodgers baseball cap, he’s a bundle of energy. So this is exactly the phrase he used to describe his K9 colleague and his brand new 24 hour sidekick.

Blue and Scott work together at a juvenile detention center and are eventually sent to schools around the county for outreach and community-based crime prevention.

“It’s not something you see every day. You don’t [usually] We can put animals back in jail,” Scott said. “When he comes back out there, just coming back once or twice a day brightens up their day. So it’s better than just sitting in a room doing homework or whatever.” They can actually get their mates back.” “He really enjoys it and they enjoy it.”

Coconino County Juvenile Court is one of the only accredited trauma information courts in the United States. While that role sometimes includes punishing, the main purpose of juvenile courts is to build brighter futures, encourage better choices, and help children face obstacles, Scott said.

Blue plays a big role in that process. He is one of two new facility dogs acquired by the Coconino County Juvenile Court just two months ago. You can’t help but smile when you see Blue and his fellow facility dog ​​Franklin.

Franklin has inky black fur, just like Blue. Like Blue, he is trained to be a full-fledged service dog that can pass public access tests.

Unlike Blue, Franklin is gentle. He is an English Labrador with a slightly square head and caring chocolate brown eyes.

His work, like his origin story, is a little different than Blue.

Franklin’s curly furry companion will be the first to engage in tail-wagging greetings, but Franklin is more likely to hang and sit quietly, at least until the treats come out.

Franklin’s handler is Nicole Snow, a court-appointed special court (CASA) coordinator. She’s cool and cool.

Scott and Blue are full of enthusiasm and brilliance combined with youthful energy, while Snow and Franklin both exude serenity. Their kind and affable disposition has the power to calm a room and put people at ease.

In many ways, Franklin may resemble Fanta, the facility dog ​​who has served for many years as a pillar of crime victim assistance for Victim Witness Services in northern Arizona.

“We were talking about ultimately wanting a court dog,” Snow said. “With Fanta’s presence in the community, we saw the potential: dogs working with people to help children and families in crisis.”

Now she lives and works with Franklin. Franklin resembles Fanta in skin color and breed, but so does his work content and temperament. Many years Fanta’s junior, he would most likely work in court or in therapy settings.

“Franklin, he’s going to be working with the dependencies department, the CASA department,” Snow said. “We work with children in foster care and families who have had their children taken away. He works with special advocates and will work with children as well.”

Both Franklin and Blue hail from Assistance Dogs of the West (ADW) based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In ADW, dogs choose their jobs. They also choose handlers.

“I had to go to Santa Fe three times for the dogs to choose me. I met about 15 dogs. Actually, the first time I went to Santa Fe, I met Blue.” said Snow. “Blue is a really great dog. When I worked with him, he was like, ‘I don’t know if he’s the dog for me.’ His energy is really amplified. He’s a nice guy, but he didn’t suit me. ”

In her case, the third time was the charm. She met Franklin, whose demeanor was perfectly tuned to support children and young people in court.

Blue was the first dog Scott met and it was love at first sight.

“It was really weird. When I first met him, I thought, if I was a dog, this would be me,” said Scott. “I felt like he was choosing me.”

During the first month, both handlers bonded with their dogs and worked on basic training.

On the first day, the handlers practiced walking their dogs off the leash. After a while, the dogs were let off their leash and fell beside their handlers. Blue contacted Scott directly after just an hour of communication. Franklin replaced Snow’s side.

A bond was quickly formed between dog and handler.

“I don’t think any of us, especially them, understood how much work we had to put into it. They did a really good job. It’s a 24/7 job.” Deputy Director of the Juvenile Court Israel Garcia said. “I remember the first few weeks. They burned out.”

Scott likens the experience to giving birth to a newborn. It’s an adjustment in every aspect of a handler’s life. Handlers were adding new dogs to existing families, developing important professional skills and bonds over time. Franklin and Blue’s meal plans also needed some adjustments.

At least the cost of both dogs’ meals are covered.

Franklin’s acquisition and continuing care are sponsored by Coconino County CASA for Kids, a local nonprofit that supports the work of court-appointed advocates through fundraising.

Blue’s treatment is being paid for by probation and state subsidies.

Scott said every cost involved with the dog was worth it, both mentally and literally.

“I am grateful to them because I have a passion for this job that no one else can match. He is so much better at it and just passionate about making the world a better place for children and those who need it,” he said.

Scott said he remembers the first time he took Blue into custody. He was nervous about the experience, but Blue wasn’t nervous at all.

“I went to court with my child and they said, ‘Can you take the dog home with you?'” And I thought, “Yes.” I took him back and I was very nervous. he was fine He let us walk around the pod area. Then he went and introduced himself. I used to work in a detention center, so I’ve never seen kids light up like they do with dogs,” Scott said.

Franklin’s first day on the job was also memorable.

“I took him to court. It was my first time seeing a child in court,” Snow said. Even though she usually sticks by my side, at that moment she went to my child and sat with me. A dog’s ability to connect with people happens much earlier than we do. In that moment, he was able to connect with the child much sooner than I thought. I think that’s the power of dogs. ”

Snow said both dogs will play an increasingly important role in trauma-based work in court.

“We are with people who have had the worst days of their lives. In every way we can connect with people and dogs, and sometimes dogs can do it even faster than we can. Dogs can help reduce cortisol.” There are studies that show it lowers levels and increases oxytocin, and there’s a scientific side to this,” Snow said. “We’re trying to find new ways to connect with our community and stand by people in a kind and compassionate way during the worst days. Dogs are part of that philosophy.”

Garcia hopes that Blue, in particular, will help keep young people away from criminal activity early.

“We talk about everything as trauma-based. Everyone has trauma. It’s the dogs’ job to meet those needs. They help ease it,” says Garcia. Told. “Also, people tend to be more open-minded and more comfortable. Children are more comfortable and open to learning when we try to provide substance abuse education.”

By August, Blue should be able to start classroom work. Both dogs still have a few miles to travel in training and will gradually increase their workload along the way.

In the meantime, it is evident how much care, dedication and even joy the dogs and their handlers have for their work and each other.