FULTON, Mo. (AP) — A central Missouri judge says the furry canines she has been bringing into her courtroom once a week since September provide a calming effect for young witnesses on the abuse and neglect docket.

The Jefferson City News-Tribune reports Associate Circuit Judge Sue Crane says the therapy dogs that come into Callaway County Courthouse on Tuesday afternoons serve as a support system for children who come to court.

The judge relies on a group of four to five regular volunteers from Ann Gafke’s Teacher’s Pet program to rotate each Thursday.

Gafke says therapy training for dogs improves canine mentality by giving them a purpose.