Addy runs to the door as a visitor reaches the top steps of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The puppy will soon help the children who walk through those doors.
The center helped more than 500 kids last year, connecting multiple organizations to help children report trauma and gain assistance. Addy the Advocate, a 10-week-old labrador retriever, will provide emotional support through the process.
The center works with the Lackawanna County Office of Youth and Family Services and the county District Attorney's office. The team consolidates the reporting process to limit the number of times that children relive their trauma, while allowing them to obtain resources that they need.
A new and welcome friend
The newest program comes in the form of Addy the Advocate. Ashley Ceccacci, the program manager and Addy’s handler, said the pup will be present at the forensic interviews.
“But it’s really to be a support for the children and the family the whole entire time that they're in the building, whether that be when they’re in the waiting room or waiting for the medical exam,” she said.
Addy helps more than just children. Center staff already find comfort in her presence. If children are uncomfortable being around dogs, arrangements will be made to avoid her.
Addy in training
Before seeing children, Addy will receive numerous certifications. Addy is learning the basics now, such as how to sit and stay. Addy will need both her Canine Good Citizen and courthouse certifications.
“[The Canine Good Citizen Certification] is just allowing them to be a good citizen in public, so walking in a heel position with their handler, being able to interact with people in public without jumping on them, being calm and waiting to be pet,” Ceccacci said.
The courthouse certification allows Addy to accompany children who need to testify in court, to make the process easier on them. The center also wants Addy to become a certified therapy dog.
Addy comes from dogs that serve others.
“For Addy specifically, her father is a service animal for his owner, and her mother has a therapy dog certification … and she really does have the best characteristics, she’s super cuddly and snuggly and ... she has a great personality,” Ceccacci said.
Focus on outreach
To have the community involved in the process, the center hosted the “Pawsitively Adorable Puppy Naming Contest.” The four finalists were Saylor, Georgia, Eleanor and Addy. The team narrowed the names down to Eleanor and Addy. At the end, Addy’s opinion was the decider.
“I actually let her pick the last one because it would be her name, so when I was calling the different names, she ultimately chose Addy as well.” Ceccacci said.
Addy made her first public appearance on Tuesday, the beginning of Child Abuse Prevention month. The center hosted its annual Pinwheels for Prevention event. For the month of April, the center places one pinwheel on Courthouse Square for each of the children staff saw over the past year. This year, 555 pinwheels spin in downtown Scranton.
“We choose to represent one of the children that we serve with each individual pinwheel that we place in the Courthouse Square,” said Meghan Lennox Gagorik, the executive director of the center. “While it’s not great that there are a lot of pinwheels, it is great that we were able to serve them in a way that provided them hope and healing.”