Listening With Compassion

One of the Children’s Advocacy Center’s (CAC) most celebrated employees is Darcy, an English Labrador Retriever who changes the lives of children at the CAC every day.

Darcy the Dog at the Children's Advocacy Center

Darcy provides comfort, support, and a calming sense of safety for the guests of the Children’s Advocacy Center.

The center is housed inside a building adjacent to O’Connor Hospital. Located at 455 O’Connor Dr., Suite 150 in San Jose, the CAC is a vital component of the Victim’s Advocacy Center, overseen by the Santa Clara County’s District Attorney’s Office.

“Within this one location, the Children's Advocacy Center brings together social services, community-based organizations, legal advocacy, medical services – including safe exams and physical abuse exams, law enforcement, and most of all, compassionate listening all under one roof,” said Jennifer Puthoff, Program Manager of the Children’s Advocacy Center.

The purpose of the CAC is to help young survivors of abuse, assault, and neglect regain control and heal from their painful experiences.

Darcy takes center stage

The highly trained staff, including Darcy, know how to recognize and understand the impact of trauma on survivors of all ages. They treat each child and every family with respect and compassion. With Darcy’s assistance, children can begin to process their anxiety about the traumatic events which have brought them to the CAC.

“Having Darcy as a part of the interview process can be a transformational experience for someone working through trauma,” said Cathy Hjelt, Victim Advocate with the Office of the District Attorney.

Darcy and Cathy Hjelt at the Children's Advocacy Center

Cathy Hjelt has been a Victim Advocate with the Office of the District Attorney for 7 years. She is both the handler and human counterpart for Darcy.

“Just having dogs around in your life has health benefits to it. It reduces your cortisol, your heart rate, and, in general, makes people feel happy and open to communication,” Cathy says.

Studies have shown that people are better able to recollect facts when calm and relaxed (Courthouse Dogs Foundation, 2019). Having a dog present during interviews can help a witness to provide more accurate and detailed testimonies.

In addition to her affinity for Darcy, Cathy also possesses a deep passion for supporting trauma victims and, as her biography indicates, ‘helping survivors and their families find their voice.’

Darcy’s work

Walking through a child’s visit involving Darcy, Cathy explains that when the child and family arrive at the CAC, they’ll be greeted by one of the welcoming advocates, detectives, or a multidisciplinary team member who can help them retell their experience.

This initial introduction is used to assess whether Darcy would be a good fit for the circumstances.

“Dogs, especially trained dogs like Darcy, are super, super sensitive and are considered ‘vibrational’ animals. They quickly pick up on the mindset of the human beings around them and take an emotional inventory of what's happening in the room,” says Cathy.

Darcy’s intuitive nature will usually lead her to where she can provide the most assistance. “Darcy will typically go right to the child because that's often the person in the most distress. However, in some cases, she will go to the parent first.”

If the child is open to a visit, Cathy will have her sit nearby, “then I talk to the child about (Darcy) a little bit, begin a conversation, and ask if they’d like to have a more interactive visit.”

A ‘visit’ is a cue for the dog to put her head on the child, usually on their lower leg, knee, or lap. “The important part is to make that physical contact and create the bond between them.”

Taking back control

Once the child and dog have established a rapport, Cathy asks if they want to hold Darcy’s leash. This transfer of power, and attention, becomes an opportunity for the child to take control, figuratively and literally, as Cathy hands over Darcy’s lead to the youth.

For a child, holding the reins creates “a huge piece of empowerment” – to be able to maneuver an animal – and as Cathy noted, “they can fiddle with the leash, they can reach down and pet Darcy, and do whatever it is that they need to feel comfort and control while discussing a difficult subject.”

Employing a dog as comfort is one of many trauma-informed responses that the County of Santa Clara has implemented to help these children; many of whom are being asked to share the most difficult aspects of an incident in their life. Sharing details of their lives may not be something that comes easily for children, less so those who have been through a harrowing experience like witnessing or experiencing criminal activity.

Jennifer Puthoff noted, “The compassion Darcy has for children is what distinguishes her help from that of even the most well-intentioned adults. Darcy knows how to connect with children in certain ways that adults just can't.”

“Sometimes, the easiest thing for a child to do is to share their story with Darcy - a calming and caring animal who will sit, listen, and love on them no matter what, with absolutely no judgment,” said Jennifer.

Through the CAC's community of supportive services and Darcy’s compassionate care, kids can begin to process and heal from trauma – and reclaim their future.