Source of strength

Tuesday, May 10, 2005

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A new program in Polk County uses dogs as a source of
Andrea Lockhart founded and runs Florida Four Legged Advocates.

strength for sexually abused children.

The four-legged friends are helping kids speak about their ordeals in court and ultimately putting their attackers in jail.

Andrea Lockhart founded and runs the Florida Four Legged Advocates program. It's a work of passion for her to help victims of sexual assault, domestic violence and other crimes through the justice system because she was a victim herself.

"I know what it's like to go through scared and confused and not understanding the system," Lockhart said.

Before founding the program, Lockhart worked as a children's advocate and discovered how difficult it is to help children when they're too scared to testify against their attacker.

"Most kids don't think, 'Hey, if I don't tell it's going to happen to someone else,' " Lockhart said.

Working with an 8-year-old girl who was a victim of sexual assault, Lockhart decided to try animal therapy to help the girl through the difficult courtroom ordeal. She adopted Squiggly, a dog, halfway through the girl's case.

"She did not want to testify," Lockhart said. "She was scared and I told her that Squiggly could go with us to court and she had a totally different attitude.

"She realized she had that support, she had that courage inside of her that she could testify against the man that had hurt her. She did, and the prosecutors were able to get what they needed to prosecute the guy and he is now serving time in jail.

"Kids automatically trust animals and especially Squiggly. They just open up to her."

Squiggly, a registered seeing eye dog, works alongside Lockhart assisting victims in and out of court helping them to begin the healing process.

Florida Four Legged Advocates is a non-profit program that launched a month ago. The group is still working to secure funding.

If you're interested in donating to the non-profit program or want help for your child, contact the organization at 863-299-9115.

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