Photo Below: Mika the therapy dog in her official new Rutherford County Juvenile Court attire.

Susan Lucas (left below) holds Delta Therapy Dog Mika, after sharing the story of how these canines are used to calm youth and adult parents-guardians-caregivers who are in the local juvenile system. It is believed that Rutherford County is the only juvenile court in Tennessee using these therapy animals.

Lucas has offered her therapy dog service at no charge for a little over a year in the detention area of the local juvenile court. Now her gift has expanded to the court room where Judge Davenport notes the dogs sense how to calm children as well as adults who are involved in the proceedings of the Rutherford County Juvenile Court system.