2026 International Courthouse Dogs Conference: Full Schedule

9:00am PDT

Conference Chair Welcome

Wednesday October 7, 2026 9:00am - 9:15am PDT

Coal Harbour A Ballroom

Welcome from Conference Co-Chairs Sue Baker & Kim Gramlich.

Speakers

Kim Gramlich

Victim Services Program Coordinator, Delta Police

Kimberley Gramlich
Program Coordinator, Delta Police Victim Services | Founder, Justice Facility Dogs Canada
Kimberley Gramlich has spent over 25 years with the Delta Police Department's Victim Services program in British Columbia, where she now serves as Program Coordinator. In 2017, she founded Justice Facility Dogs Canada to support the growth of facility dog programs across Canadian... Read More →

Sue Baker

Manager, Victim Services, Vancouver Police Department

Sue Baker
Manager, Victim Services Unit, Vancouver Police Department
Sue Baker has spent over 13 years with the Vancouver Police Department's Victim Services Unit, currently serving as Manager after roles as Program Coordinator and Crisis Intervention Caseworker/Intervention K9 Handler. Her background includes coordinating the department's Civilian... Read More →

Wednesday October 7, 2026 9:00am - 9:15am PDT
Coal Harbour A Ballroom

Administration / Announcements

3:15pm PDT

Building a Facility Dog Culture: The Long Game

Wednesday October 7, 2026 3:15pm - 4:15pm PDT

Coal Harbour A Ballroom

Some programs survive. Gina Yeager's thrives — and has for nearly two decades, across three generations of facility dogs.

As Victim Services Coordinator for the Fifth Judicial District DA's Office in Roswell, New Mexico, Gina has built something rare: an organization where facility dogs are not a program feature but a foundational expectation. New Victim Advocates must be willing to handle a dog — it is written into every job posting. Incoming prosecutors are onboarded with facility dog protocols from day one. And an independent nonprofit ensures the program is never at the mercy of a government budget cycle.

In this session, Gina shares the philosophy, the practical strategies, and the hard-won lessons behind a program that has not just survived leadership transitions, budget pressures, and organizational change — but rather grown stronger through all of it. She will explore what it means to embed a facility dog so deeply into the culture of an organization and community that its absence becomes unthinkable.

If you want your program to still be here decades from now — and thriving — this is the session for you.

Speakers

Gina Yeager

Victim Services Coordinator, Fifth Judicial District DA Office

Gina Yeager is the Victim Services Coordinator, Violence Prevention Program Coordinator, and Court Facility Dog Coordinator for the Fifth Judicial District DA's Office in Chaves County, New Mexico. A third-generation facility dog handler, Gina has spent more than a decade building one of th... Read More →

Wednesday October 7, 2026 3:15pm - 4:15pm PDT
Coal Harbour A Ballroom

Breakout Sessions

11:30am PDT

Fit for Duty: Keeping Your Facility Dog Healthy, Happy, and Working

Thursday October 8, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm PDT

Coal Harbour A Ballroom

Your facility dog shows up for everyone else — this session is about showing up for them.

Dr. Irene O'Brien, a veterinarian with firsthand understanding of the demands placed on working dogs, brings a practitioner's lens to one of the most important — and sometimes overlooked — aspects of running a successful facility dog program: the health and welfare of the dog at the center of it all.

From recognizing the subtle signs of stress and fatigue to understanding the physical demands of high-volume justice work, Dr. O'Brien will share practical, actionable tips that handlers can take home and put to use immediately. Topics will touch on routine wellness, stress indicators, the importance of recovery time, and how to be your dog's best advocate within your organization and with your veterinary team.

Speakers

Dr. Irene O'Brien

Owner, Scottsdale Veterinary Hospital

Dr. Irene O'Brien graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan with distinction. She is an owner of Scottsdale Veterinary Hospital in Surrey, B.C. and has been enjoying the challenges of small animal medicine and surgery for more than... Read More →

Thursday October 8, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm PDT
Coal Harbour A Ballroom

Breakout Sessions