Toffee Beanz is the first trained therapy dog in South Africa to officially assist a child witness during court proceedings in a High Court. (Photo: Provided)
Imagine you are small, scared and have to testify in court about the worst day of your life. Then you look down – and see a soft paw resting reassuringly on your lap.
This was the reality in the Cape Town High Court on Wednesday when Toffee Beanz, a three-year-old golden retriever, made history. She is the first trained therapy dog in South Africa to officially assist a child witness during court proceedings in a high court.
This pioneering initiative is the work of the Jelly Beanz Foundation, an organization that specializes in trauma-informed care for children who have experienced abuse and neglect.
According to the foundation, thousands of children enter the justice system every year as victims or witnesses of violence, yet only a small percentage of these cases result in convictions.
The reason for this is often the intense trauma that children experience in the witness stand, which hampers their ability to testify effectively. Toffee Beanz is now here to help ease that heavy burden of anxiety.
Toffee Beanz. (Photo: Provided)
Science of wagging tail
Edith Kriel, director of Jelly Beanz and Toffee’s owner, says the court process is difficult even for adults. For a child who has to recall traumatic experiences in a formal, foreign environment, it is almost impossible.
“If we can reduce a child’s anxiety, they can think better and tell more clearly what happened to them,” explains Kriel.
“The presence of a dog brings neurological calm – the heart rate and blood pressure drop, and anxiety decreases. This makes the testimony better, but more importantly, it makes the child’s experience humane.”
During the proceedings, Toffee sat at chair height right next to the child so that there was constant physical contact. Kriel says that the child could feel Toffee’s warmth and realize through eye contact: “I’m not alone.”
Although it was Toffee Beanz’s first court appearance, she handled the strange sounds and smells of the court remarkably well. (Photo: Provided)
Paw on the lap
One particular moment made a deep impression on those present.
“There was a stage where it was difficult for the child to speak. Toffee just looked at the child and quietly put her paw on the child’s lap. The child held the paw and was able to continue. It was a powerful, silent form of support that needed no words.”
Toffee is not just any dog; she was already selected from her litter at five weeks old after a thorough assessment. She already started working at eight weeks and is today an integral part of the therapeutic team.
Kriel describes her as a “goofy” ray of sunshine.
“When the doorbell rings, she runs with a toy in her mouth to welcome the children. That wagging tail immediately breaks the ice.”
Toffee Beanz with a toy in her mouth. (Photo: Provided)
Start from the path for more
Although it was Toffee’s first court appearance, she handled the strange sounds and smells of the court remarkably well. According to Kriel, Wednesday’s events are just the first step in a much bigger journey.
“The challenge is to think how we can take it further. One dog cannot help all the children in South Africa. We need support to make this type of help a reality for more children,” she says.
The Jelly Beanz Foundation focuses on evidence-based services for vulnerable families, particularly in underserved communities.
For Kriel, the mission is clear.
“My love for children, my love for dogs and the reality of what children have to go through tells me we must never stop trying to do the right thing.
“Sometimes that real thing starts with something as simple as a soft paw and a tail that keeps wagging, regardless of the circumstances.”
Edith Kriel with Toffee Beanz. (Photo: Provided)