A court in Minnesota, U.S.A. allowed a "facility"-trained dog to accompany a sexual assault victim to the witness stand. The dog helped ease anxiety for the victim during the five hours she was on the witness stand giving testimony. Fourteen other U.S. states also use animals as support for victim witnesses.
Paul Walsh, Hailed as a First in Minnesota, Trained Dog Joins Teenage Sex Assault Victim on Witness Stand, Star Tribune, July 21, 2023, available at https://www.startribune.com/hailed-as-a-first-in-minnesota-trained-dog-joins-teenage-sex-assault-victim-on-witness-stand/600291370/.