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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
Miss. chooses new firm to run Woodville prison
May 18, 2013 20:50 GMT
WOODVILLE, Miss. (AP) -- Mississippi officials have picked a new company to run the Wilkinson County Correctional Facility.
Utah-based Management and Training Corp. announced Friday that the Mississippi Department of Corrections has chosen it to run the 1,000-bed prison starting July 1, the Natchez Democrat reports (http://bit.ly/10MvOGv).
Corrections Corporation of America, based in Nashville, Tenn., had run the prison since 1998. MTC says it will keep "the vast majority" of employees.
MTC will get a five-year contract to run the prison with two one-year options. Last year, officials chose MTC to take over East Mississippi Correctional Facility, the Walnut Grove Correctional Facility and the Marshall County Correctional Facility from the GEO Group. MTC won 10-year contracts for each.
CCA still runs the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility and the Adams County Correctional Center in Mississippi.
Information from: The Natchez Democrat, http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/
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