Wichita County OKs policy allowing certified courthouse facility dogs

Wichita County Commissioners Court on Sept. 29 approved an addition to the county personnel manual to allow professionally trained and certified courthouse facility dogs to be brought to the workplace on official business.

Judge Loeb told the court the proposed program partners with Patriot Paws of Rockwall, Texas, and would assign a ‘‘facility dog’’ to the court rather than to an individual handler. ‘‘The dog will go home with me, and so, there's not gonna be any cost or expense to Wichita County,’’ she said. Human Resources staff advised tightening the policy language to require certification, paperwork and proper vests for any animal admitted under the rule. The court adopted the language with the requested change and the motion carried 4–0.