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WZTV FOX 17 - Top Stories
Abused and neglected children are getting much-needed support from a unique and very unexpected friend, a compassionate pup that's helping those kids through the most difficult time in their young lives.
Every Tuesday the Williamson county juvenile court hears DCS cases.
"These are the cases where children are often removed from their homes and placed into foster care and so coming to court for them is very traumatic,” said Sharon Guffey, Juvenile Court Judge.
That’s why Guffee asked Williamson County Animal Control to bring in Samson a 1-year-old Great Pyrenees to help comfort the children. Guffee said even a simple gesture like lying down at a child's feet can have a positive impact on a kid's self-esteem.
"There must be something innate in animals that knows you know how to do that, especially with children,” Guffee said.
Guffee said the kids absolutely love Samson. But his owner, Judy Lindberg said the kids help him as much as he helps them.
“He came into [animal control] as a stray,” Lindberg said. “He was held in impound for several weeks."
Lindberg is also a volunteer at animal control. She says no one ever claimed him, and maybe that's why Samson is so good at understanding lost children.
"Maybe they start out as unwanted or that they don’t have the most caring owners or parents,” Lindberg said.
But Samson wasn't unwanted for long and was adopted by Lindberg, who says if he could speak, Samson would probably tell the kids in the courtroom one thing.
“If you keep an open heart then there's somebody out there that will find you and love you,” Lindberg said.
Gufee said she would like to have a resident dog that would be a part of her court every single week.
Every Tuesday the Williamson county juvenile court hears DCS cases.
"These are the cases where children are often removed from their homes and placed into foster care and so coming to court for them is very traumatic,” said Sharon Guffey, Juvenile Court Judge.
That’s why Guffee asked Williamson County Animal Control to bring in Samson a 1-year-old Great Pyrenees to help comfort the children. Guffee said even a simple gesture like lying down at a child's feet can have a positive impact on a kid's self-esteem.
"There must be something innate in animals that knows you know how to do that, especially with children,” Guffee said.
Guffee said the kids absolutely love Samson. But his owner, Judy Lindberg said the kids help him as much as he helps them.
“He came into [animal control] as a stray,” Lindberg said. “He was held in impound for several weeks."
Lindberg is also a volunteer at animal control. She says no one ever claimed him, and maybe that's why Samson is so good at understanding lost children.
"Maybe they start out as unwanted or that they don’t have the most caring owners or parents,” Lindberg said.
But Samson wasn't unwanted for long and was adopted by Lindberg, who says if he could speak, Samson would probably tell the kids in the courtroom one thing.
“If you keep an open heart then there's somebody out there that will find you and love you,” Lindberg said.
Gufee said she would like to have a resident dog that would be a part of her court every single week.
Tuesday, February 19 2013, 07:02 PM CST
Tennessee News
Trial begins in international custody case
May 21, 2013 08:06 GMT
By SHEILA BURKE Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- A trial begins Tuesday that could determine which country will decide the fate of 13-year-old twin boys at the center of an international custody battle that extends from Eastern Europe to Middle Tennessee.
The boys are American citizens who were born in Texas but have spent the majority of their lives in Hungary. Their father is an American citizen with family in the Cottontown community of Sumner County. Their mother, a Romanian national, has invoked an international treaty claiming the children are being wrongfully retained in Tennessee by their father.
The boys came to Tennessee last year to visit their paternal grandparents in Sumner County for the summer. The father, who was supposed to bring them back to Europe, stayed in the U.S. and filed for divorce.
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