With a wet nose, gentle personality and wagging tail, Lovely is a frequent visitor to the Kitsap County courthouse. The yellow lab/golden retriever cross, who is friendly and loves to meet people, is popular around the halls of justice.

“She’ll go up to almost anyone that she sees to greet them and say ‘Hi,’” says Lovely’s paw-rent, public defender Kellie Pendras, who brings the pup when meeting clients at court, visits kids in detention and does trials. When the gentle-natured canine enters a courtroom, she has an innate ability to know who needs comforting, reports her owner.

“She’ll sense who seems to be the most stressed, and she’ll usually go lay at their feet or lay with them. She kind of does it instinctively,” Pendras said.

Pendras is a managing attorney at the county’s office of public defense. In addition to supervising attorneys, she handles juvenile, felony and misdemeanor cases of indigent clients. As a result, Lovely meets clients of all ages.

Lovely came from Canine Companions, a nonprofit service dog organization that trains canines free of charge to work with individuals and professionals employed in health care, education and criminal justice. Lovely was trained in the group’s Santa Rosa, CA facility, named in honor of Charles Schulz, of Charlie Brown and Peanuts fame. Lovely and Pendras are certified as a team to work in the courthouse.

Great with juveniles

Having Lovely is particularly valuable at the juvenile court in Port Orchard.

Lovely is the best icebreaker there is when Pendras meets with juvenile clients, who can range in age from 12-17. The pup helps break down barriers that can exist between an anxious youth and intimidating court system, she said.

“I bring her with me when I go talk to my child clients, either in the courtroom or the detention facility. I also have her when I do hearings. She also visits those watching court, usually other kids or parents,” Pendras said. “It never ceases to amaze me seeing the difference that she makes with a lot of my juvenile clients.

“A lot of the kids we see struggle with mental health or have never been in the court system before. So, they come to court. There is a judge sitting on the bench and they are told they are being charged with a crime. They don’t understand what is going on. They’re afraid that they’re going to be put in jail forever,” she said.

“Once they meet Lovely, it completely changes their demeanor – she makes them a little calmer. A lot of times, they’ll look at Lovely and start talking. That’s easier for them than sometimes looking at me, a stranger who’s asking them sometimes pretty private questions. It allows me to do my job and represent them much better,” Pendras said.

Judge’s view

Kitsap County Superior Court Judge Jennifer Forbes believes having Lovely pad around the courtroom benefits everyone – from defendants, especially minors, to court staff and spectators. She has experience with Lovely and another courthouse dog, named Kerris, who passed away in 2023.

“I’ve always felt that they were a huge benefit. They’re really great for helping people who are going through some of the most traumatic moments in their life to really feel a sense of comfort,” said Forbes, who has a Labrador.

“You could be sitting there feeling really anxious and stressed about whatever you’re in court for and then you get this sweet puppy face in your lap and you get to pet her. And they’re just wonderful for that. They bring a different tone to the court,” the judge said.

Pendras says being accompanied by Lovely can’t be beat.

“Having a dog in the workplace makes a huge difference. Lovely spends all day visiting everybody, partially to get snacks (baby carrots are her fav), but also because she just loves to be around everybody. She just brings the stress down in a courtroom. I can’t imagine doing this job without her,” said her public defender mom.