SEATTLE — A canine named Errol is making a different in King County courtrooms. The dog is delivering help to victims of crimes.
Page Ulrey and Errol's routine involves regular walks down the halls and rides in the elevators.
"He's called the Courthouse Dog,” said Ulrey.
The courthouse is where the canine has an office, one he shares with Ulrey, his handler and a senior deputy prosecuting attorney.
"We just deal with trauma and pain on a daily basis in this office, and there's so much need for comfort,” said Ulrey.
That's why Errol came on board seven years ago. One of his first assignments was working with Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Amy Freedheim.
"I look at this wall and I feel all of my victims saying keep fighting these crimes,” said Freedheim.
In her office, a wall of photos serves as a constant reminder of the lives lost to vehicular homicides.
"And, of course, Lindsay was killed and those are her beautiful sons,” said Freedheim, pointing at a photo of a woman who was killed in a Bellevue car crash on November 11, 2015. Her 13-year-old son saw the aftermath of the crash. Police said his mom's boyfriend, Robert Jackson, was intoxicated behind the wheel. His mom was in the passenger seat.
Aubony Burns worked with Freedheim on the case.
"It was key that he be able to testify. And you know we are running through our, what can we do? what sort of strategies if this little boy will never open up and talk to us because he wouldn't speak to us,” said Burns.
They say he was too traumatized to talk, and that's where Errol came in and made a difference.
"It just made him really comfortable and feel safe,” said Burns.
That was especially important because the defendant waived counsel. It meant the 13-year-old was going to be questioned on the witness stand by the man who killed his mother. On the day of the trial, he showed up in a suit. Errol sat with him as he testified. Jackson was convicted.
More recently, Burns called on the canine to help in another case.
“It was a robbery turned murder,” said Burns.
State of Washington v. Daye'vion Royalston, an Ohio man who was accused of shooting and killing a motel clerk in SeaTac for less than $150.
“Brent Arancio, an American war hero essentially, Army Veteran,” said Burns about the victim.
"Brent was a very good man. He served multiple deployments in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo,” said Tammi Arancio, who was married to him.
The couple’s sons, Zebediah and Gabriel, were ages 5 and 10 when it happened.
"We are talking four and a half years until we finally got to trial to get justice,” said Tammi.
The family, who moved out of state, had to fly to Washington for the sentencing, and Errol was there, ready to help. They spent time with the dog, drew portraits of Errol, and sat beside him in the courtroom.
"To where a dog is able to make a child who has lost his dad to murder feel like some things in this world are okay, to me that is huge. While he is sitting there facing a murder, that is huge,” said Tammi.
"It just added that layer of just help for this family to get through this process,” said Burns.
"I think it's tremendous to have Errol around,” said Freedheim. "He gives really traumatized people the strength to do another really kind of traumatizing thing when they are required to come in and talk about one of the worst events that happened in their life."
"When someone's upset, he will go over to them and just rest his head on their knee or put his head on their foot and just sit with them and just be calm. That has an amazing impact on people,” said Ulrey.