The Story
The Center for Child Protection’s first working dog, Sidney, joined the team in 2009. As a trained therapy dog, Sidney comforted children in the aftermath of abuse, helping them process and heal from trauma.
Sidney was exceptionally well-trained. She also had “an intuitive ability to find the person in the room who needed her most,” according to Miriam Jansky, the Center’s Chief Clinical Officer.
A few years after Sidney started, the Child Protection Team faced a difficult case. A young girl (we’ll call her Emelia) had endured continuous sexual abuse at the hands of her mother’s boyfriend. The initial investigation revealed substantial evidence — but to secure a long-term conviction, Emelia would need to testify.
When the abuse was first reported, Emelia bravely shared her story in a forensic interview. However, it took two years for her case to go to court. By then, Emelia was terrified of reliving her past trauma. When preparing for trial at the District Attorney’s Office, she hid under the table to avoid talking about it.
This was three days before her court date.
In desperation, the prosecutors called the Center and asked for Sidney. As soon as Sidney entered the room, she knew what to do, immediately going under the table to comfort Emelia. Sidney let Emelia hug her, pet her, and lay on her. She connected with Emilia, making her feel safe in a way humans couldn’t. That’s when the prosecutors asked:
“If you can’t tell us what happened, could you tell Sidney?”
Emelia lifted Sidney’s ear and told her everything.
Sidney was able to re-inspire Emelia’s initial bravery. With judge approval, Sidney was also allowed — for the first time in Texas history — to be with Emelia in the courtroom as she testified. Sidney laid in the witness stand, Emelia’s feet resting gently on her back. With Sidney serving as an emotional anchor, Emelia told her story to a room full of strangers and just 15ft away from her abuser, who she hadn’t seen in two years.
Because of Sidney’s support, Emelia found the courage to testify. Because Emelia was able to testify, her abuser was convicted and sentenced to 60 years in prison.
The Legacy
Sidney was a trailblazer. She was the first canine employed at the Center, the first dog in Texas allowed to accompany a child in a criminal trial, and the founding member of what would become the Facility Dog Program.
Her success with Emelia proved that a dog’s presence could make a difference beyond the scope of therapy. From that day forward, Sidney continued serving children in both roles: therapy and court support.
In 2017, Mickler took up Sidney’s legacy. After undergoing specialized, professional training, Mickler became the Center’s first certified facility dog. He was also deputized by the District Attorney’s Office, becoming Travis County’s first official court-assistance dog.
Today, Mickler offers comfort and courage to children across all Center services: from therapy and court support to forensic interviews and medical exams.
Since Sidney’s historic debut in 2014, the impact, reach, and need for animal-assisted intervention has only grown. In 2023, the Center formally launched its Facility Dog Program by welcoming two new facility dogs: Rosa and Star.
The Facility Dog Program stands as a pillar of support, touching the lives of countless children every year.
The Dog
Sidney was an extraordinary therapy dog who served above and beyond her original call to duty. She loved others and was loved by many, especially by the children she supported. She will be remembered for her gentle comfort, her intuitive compassion, and her quirky love of courthouse metal detectors.
Sidney lives on through the impact of the program she founded.
Learn more about our Facility Dog Program.
