We know it when we see it — a child's shoulders drop, a witness takes a breath, a survivor finds words they couldn't find before. But what is actually happening in those moments? Science is beginning to tell us.
Dr. Kerri Rodriguez, one of the world's leading researchers in human-animal interaction, closes Day 1 with a session that gives the justice facility dog community something powerful: the evidence to match the instinct. As Director of the HAB Lab at the University of Arizona, Dr. Rodriguez has spent her career investigating the measurable impacts of the human-animal bond — from stress buffering and trauma recovery to the wellbeing of both the humans and animals in these partnerships.
Drawing on her extensive body of research — work that has been featured in the BBC, Washington Post, National Geographic, People Magazine, and beyond — Dr. Rodriguez will explore what the science tells us about dogs in high-stakes settings, what we still don't know, and why that research matters for the future of the justice facility dog model. For handlers who have always known this work changes lives, this session will give you the language, the data, and the confidence to say exactly why.
On July 16, 2022, Constable Jesse Schellenberg and his canine partner PSD Jade responded to a call like so many before it — dangerous, unpredictable, and requiring everything they had. What happened that day would stay with Jesse forever. He credits going home alive that night directly to the training and preparation he and Jade had received together — a testament to what true partnership between a handler and a dog can mean when it matters most.
In this closing keynote, Sgt. Schellenberg reflects on that day, on the bond that carried him through it, and on what it means to place your life — and your trust — in the paws of your partner. His story is a powerful reminder of why this work matters, why the training behind it matters, and why the dogs we honor in this community are extraordinary in ways that go far beyond the courtroom.
It is a full-circle moment for the 2026 conference: the Vancouver Police Foundation — whose generosity supports the training and equipment that keeps VPD handlers and their dogs safe — sponsors our opening morning and closes our final day with this remarkable story. We are deeply grateful for their partnership, their commitment to this community, and for making both the beginning and the end of this conference possible.
The closing keynote of the 2026 International Courthouse Dogs® Conference is proudly presented by the Vancouver Police Foundation.
