Therapy Dog Provides Comfort to Victims at Larry Nassar Sentencing

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Amid all the reporting surrounding the sentence hearing of former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, there has been a silent, sweet bit of comfort on hand for all the victims who came to speak out.

Preston, a black Labrador retriever, has been stationed outside the courtroom at the Ingham County Court in Lansing, MI, during the testimony.

Preston is a trained therapy dog. He regularly interacts with children and youth who are survivors of physical and sexual abuse during their counseling sessions. He does the same in court, supporting kids when they testify.

“It’s kind of a signal to him that he’s on the clock, so to speak,” Alex Brace, executive director of Small Talk Children’s Assessment Center, told the Lansing State Journal. “Once he takes off his bandana, it lets him know he can go back to being a puppy who’s just wagging his tail and playing around.”