"They need support services so that the system doesn't make them a victim the second time, by having to go through the court process," Butler said.
Prosecutors hope to eventually bring Buddy into the courtroom - with judges' permission - so he can help those who need support while sitting in the witness stand, said Jerry F. Barnes, Carroll's state's attorney.
Many of the techniques tried with young witnesses - such as closed-circuit TV - have met resistance because of concerns that they could affect testimony, Vachss said. "Nobody can say the dog is feeding a child the answers or influencing the testimony in any way. ... It's a way to give a very vulnerable witness strength."
Buddy - named for retired Carroll prosecutor Clarence "Buddy" Beall - sits in on about eight interviews a month, Schaum said, and comes to the office about three times a week.
His role garnered state recognition this spring, earning Barnes and Schaum a Governor's Victim Assistance Award.
Schaum plans to register Buddy as a full-fledged therapy dog with the Delta Society, a nonprofit organization that specializes in therapy animals and service dogs, when she feels he is predictable and no longer easily excited by children and other canines.
"He has still a lot of puppy in him," she said, smiling, in her office one recent afternoon.
Buddy lay serenely in his crate - eyes closed, head resting between his front paws.
Walking to a grassy area near the courthouse later, the puppy shone through as he sometimes tugged the blue leash in Schaum's hand.
Schaum points to the experiences of counterparts in Washington state as an indication of the animals' potential.
"It's really made a profound impact on these victims," Page Ulrey, senior deputy prosecutor for King County, said of the Labrador-golden retriever mix, Ellie, that her office brought in more than two years ago to work with child abuse victims and the elderly.
"Ellie has been very successful in reducing kids' fear of coming into court," Ulrey said.
The dog has attended sentencings, stood by children as they testified, and waited outside court with them before they took the stand, said Carolyn Webster, a child interview specialist with the King County prosecutor's office. Carroll prosecutors said they already have seen the benefits of Buddy's presence.
