Beyond the Courtroom: Facility Dogs in Community & Crisis Response Gina Yeager · Kim Gramlich · Amber Urban · FBI Representatives (pending) The courthouse is where most people think the work ends. It isn't.
Facility dogs 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?
In this panel, three of the field's most experienced handlers — each with deep roots in trauma-informed response — join forces to explore what it truly means to deploy a facility dog in community and crisis settings. The conversation will cover the preparation required, the protocols that guide the work, what trauma training looks like for handlers stepping into these roles, and the emotional weight that comes with answering an unexpected call to serve.
The panel will also examine the growing federal recognition of this model, including the April 2026 publication of the
FBI's national Facility Dog Best Practice Guidelines.
These handlers have answered the call. They will share what they experienced, what they learned, and what they wish they had known — so that when your call comes, you will be ready.
