31 Dec 2024 Five-Oh-Ones to Watch 2025: Paws for Justice
By Rita Halter Thomas
Susan Bradshaw, program manager for PAWS for Justice, can’t say enough about the program’s future. Launched in January 2022 with grant money and one dog, PAWS for Justice now has four dog-and-handler teams and recently became state-funded.
The program provides certified facility dogs to assist victims of crime during prosecutor, police or forensic interviews, as well as court proceedings across the state. The presence of the dogs (golden retriever and Labrador mixes specifically bred and trained for this purpose) helps victims open up and talk about the worst experiences in their lives.
Bradshaw, of Conway, is a former victim advocate for the Faulkner County Prosecutor’s Office. She, along with her assistant program director Fawn Borden, learned about canines used in courtrooms through an email inquiry. One thing led to another, and with then-elected prosecutor Cody Hiland, they applied for the first trained dog.
“Barb (now retired) was the only dog we had the first year, and she covered the whole state,” Bradshaw said. “Then in February 2023, we were able to bring on two more dogs. In April [2024], we brought on our fourth dog,” she said. Currently, there are two teams in Central Arkansas, one each in Benton and Craighead counties. Another handler is working to be matched for the southwest area, and they are looking for another qualified handler for the southeast corner.
“It’s not just somebody who loves dogs, but it’s got to be somebody who can listen to the really hard stuff and respond appropriately,” Bradshaw said. “These are kids who are describing the worst days of their life, in detail (smells, sounds, sight), and not everybody can listen to that and still be OK.”
The need is growing. Teams assist in juvenile court, Department of Human Services cases, divorce, orders of protection, and can even help jurors decompress after a difficult trial. They also help with victims rescued from human trafficking situations.
Canine teams also attend conferences and travel the state, raising awareness and reminding prosecutors they can be another option in their toolbox. However, they do not favor the prosecution or defense. “We’re impartial. We’re just there to make the process of being part of the criminal justice system a little bit more tolerable,” she said.
Bradshaw is working to find the right vehicles to transport the dogs from case to case. Funds have been allocated for the “hot dog packages” like those used in police K-9 units, but handlers are still using their vehicles. She is hoping to find businesses to donate the needed SUVs. Bradshaw explained that, while the dogs are service dogs, handlers do not have a disability, so they cannot legally take dogs in certain places. Therefore, dogs often must be left in the vehicle, with the motor running to maintain safe temperatures.
Arkansas’s PAWS for Justice Teams include Ari and handler Rebecca Petty, Benton County; Pizzaz and handler Sherri Beatty, Craighead County; Roxy and handler/Assistant Program Manager Fawn Borden, Faulkner County; Reinhold “Rhino” and handler/Program Manager Susan Bradshaw, Faulkner County. Bradshaw and her husband, Jerry, are raising two daughters in Conway. She also leads a Girl Scout Troop and is a leader in her church.
Learn more on Facebook at PAWS for Justice – Arkansas, or on Instagram at arpawsforjustice. Each dog also has a Facebook page, Instagram, YouTube channel and/or TikTok.
