LOS ANGELES: The twins were 7, shy and scared. Talking was tough and describing what happened nearly impossible.

So the prosecutor preparing them to testify against the father they said molested them borrowed a dog named Jeeter.

"It was a last ditch effort to try to build rapport with my kids, who are terribly shy," said Kelly Dempsey, the twins' mother. "The prosecutor had no idea how to get through to them. ... He just believed down to the depths of his soul the girls had been wronged and he wanted so badly to find justice for them."

In Seattle 10 years ago, Jeeter became the first professionally trained dog to help a child testify, experts said. Dogs have been used with thousands of victims and witnesses since.

Today, there are 41 courthouse dogs working in 19 states and several more being considered, but some challenges are working their way through the courts, driven by attorneys who claim the dogs are distractions or sympathy magnets. So far, all lower courts have upheld the use of dogs.

No offense to other dog breeds, but Corgis are just the best. Just look at how excited this little one gets about playing with a ball.

Wishing Well Program — Acme Fresh Market collected just under $16,000 in its 2012 program that was donated to the Humane Society of Greater Akron, Stark County Humane Society, Portage County Animal Protective League and the Parma Animal Shelter. The amount, collected when customers drop spare change into a wishing well, is a 37 percent increase over 2011.

We Speak Doggy — Posche Paws Pet Resort and Spa will present a free dog safety program at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday at 3712 Commerce Drive in Copley Township. The one-hour, interactive program, presented by Patty Vesalo of CleverPup 101 Family Dog Training of Bath Township, will kick off National Dog Bite Prevention Week. Children will meet therapy dogs, decorate doggie cookies for their pets and view a video. For additional information, call 330-620-6180 or 330-670-8200.

Cats are great and all, but this would be just awful.