Beyond the Courtroom: Facility Dogs in Community & Crisis Response The courthouse is where most people think the work ends. It isn't.
Facility dog teams are increasingly being called to respond beyond the walls of the justice system — to school shootings, mass casualty events, community tragedies, and moments of collective grief where the presence of a trained dog and a trauma-informed handler can be the difference between isolation and connection. It is some of the most meaningful — and most demanding — work a handler will ever do.
What if that call came tomorrow? Would you feel prepared?
This panel is moderated by Staci Beers, who brings a US federal-level perspective on crisis response shaped by her work with the FBI. Linda Milanesi of Assistance Dogs of the West opens the conversation from the training side, explaining what goes into preparing dogs for FBI and crisis-response work specifically — the standards, the temperament, and the specialized conditioning that sets these dogs apart. From there, three of the field's most experienced handlers — each with deep roots in trauma-informed response — join the conversation to share what it truly means to get the call and deploy a facility dog into community and crisis settings: the preparation required, the protocols that guide the work, and the emotional weight of answering when it matters most.
The panel will also examine the growing US federal recognition of this model, including the April 2026 publication of the
FBI's national Facility Dog Best Practice Guidelines.
This session leaves real room for your questions. Come ready to ask what preparing to respond might look like in your own community — what training, protocols, and support systems you and your program would need in place before that call ever comes.
