Grownup things can be quite overwhelming for a child. Adults tend to have a difficult time taking the stand to testify against someone who hurt them, so imagine how scary it would be for a child. This little girl had to take the stand to testify against a man who had wronged her, and as soon as she saw him, she couldn’t move. Everything inside of her told her not to do it. That was until she signaled something to her dog.
They say that what doesn’t take you down makes you stronger, which’ll help you last longer than the Great Wall of China. In most cases, this is true, especially when you’re young. Children are tougher than they look and can bounce back, which is what this little girl would end up doing. That’s not to say that she wasn’t a little hesitant. After all, kids aren’t supposed to be put in these difficult situations.
Karl has a lot of responsibilities as a working dog, but he isn’t your typical working dog. Karl is a 65-pound boxer and he’s meant to protect and serve. He’s not a police dog, but he was definitely a hero to one little girl. Karl is a special K9-circuit dog who attends court. Sometimes, when children have to take the stand, they tend to have a difficult time, and this is where dogs like Karl come in. But Karl has a certain advantage.
As far this little girl was concerned, Karl was an angel with fur. He could sense that she was going through a rough patch. But that doesn’t come as much of a surprise to an animal lover. Dogs seem to have a sixth sense and can make a difficult situation easier for a child to handle. But Karl was in a class of his own, and it would prove to be a huge advantage for this little girl.
Karl was born unable to hear. As hard as it is to believe, this actually helped Karl in his life. He wasn’t like any dog in his unit. The other canines had to go through training to ignore the courtroom sounds. People’s cries, the general buzz, and the banging gavel can make dogs go crazy. But thanks to his hearing impairment, Karl didn’t even notice the sounds, but it also affected his work.
Dogs are so resilient that you can’t help but wonder if they’re made of steel or something. Some of them may have been beaten down and mistreated in the past and yet, they keep going and going. But even a disability couldn’t stop Karl from living an amazing life and helping others in the process.
Because Karl couldn’t hear, he was a laid-back kind of dog, which made him a hit with children. He was also big enough to make them feel safe, but floppy enough to make them feel relaxed. Karl also liked to wear a blue hat to to court every single day, which made him seem goofy. And that made the kids love him even more, especially one little girl that Karl assisted. But his hearing loss did cause one issue.
Karl is a dog, but he was also very much like a furry teddy bear, and kids adore him. He was simply too funny and friendly to ignore, which helped them handle this particular situation. This dog was able to help the little girl out, and she badly needed him. But his hearing impairment was no walk in the park either.
Because Karl is deaf, his training was a bit more difficult than other pups. A deaf dog requires special instructions. Since they can’t hear their commands, eye contact is imperative, which can be a problem. Just imagine trying to train an excited puppy that can’t hear you. Instead of just telling them to “heel” when they’re going crazy, you have to captivate their full attention. But Karl surprised his trainers when he began to do something one day.
Karl had to work extra hard in order to understand the commands. Since he couldn’t hear them, making intense eye contact was a priority. This wasn’t easy for Karl or the trainers. But he was one of the most amazing four-legged friends they had ever encountered, and he ended up surprising everyone with his ability to learn.
Even though he couldn’t hear, Karl successfully learned to understand an unspoken language. Karl learned to communicate with American Sign Language. This just proves how smart Karl really is. Karl surprised all of his trainers with how quickly he learned to understand the commands signed. Now that he could understand his trainers commands, Karl began to thrive. He was quickly turning into an amazing candidate. This new form of communication did create another problem, though.
He managed to shine brighter than any star in the sky. He was witty and smart too which offset his physical disadvantage. Karl was simply one of a kind. He learned to understand the commands fairly quick. But he did encounter a few obstacles along the way which proved life is much harder when you weren’t born with all your senses.
A problem showed itself when it came to Karl’s communication system while interacting with kids. The other courtroom dogs could be controlled by voice commands, but Karl needed sign language. This meant that the kids had to learn to communicate with Karl using signs. Anxious hands and a brand new language didn’t really go hand in hand. That much was obvious. The kids adored Karl, but they couldn’t communicate with him. So, the trainers decided to do something amazing.
Most kids don’t know sign language. In fact, most adults don’t know it either. This made it difficult for people to interact and communicate with Karl. The chemistry that Karl had with the kids was undeniable. This made it a lot easier for everyone involved. But the trainers still had a trick up their sleeves which would undoubtedly mend whatever bridges of understanding Karl and his companions had to cross.
Karl’s trainers created an easy to learn hand signal system, which made it easy for children to learn how to talk to Karl. It also made them feel like they had a secret language that only they and Karl understood. It wasn’t long before Karl was taking the courtroom by storm, helping lots of children in the process. But there was one little girl that really stood out. One little girl that Karl would provide an incredible amount of help for.
Kids love to play all the time, so they’ll give anything a try if you call it a game. Learning the secret language was totally new, exciting and also a lot of fun. From their perspective, they would be able to communicate in a way that the grownups couldn’t understand. This would prove particularly useful to a little girl who desperately needed Karl’s love and support.
Karl’s ability to sign captivated the little girl. She immediately bonded with Karl, which really helped, considering the difficulty of her case. Unfortunately, a man had severely wronged her in the past, which left her completely wary of the world around her. And now she had to a difficult task: face the man again in court. But Karl was able to do something remarkable for the little girl. With just one sign, he was able to change her life.
Kids and dogs go together like peanut butter and jelly. But given that this little girl was going through an unusually high-stress situation, the two of them managed to get along great. In fact, their bond was so strong, it left everyone baffled. Unfortunately, he had to face the man who left her shaken on an emotional level. But thankfully, she had Karl with her.
After an intense about of preparation, the little girl seemed ready for court. As soon as she walked into the courtroom, the little girl became engulfed with anxiety. The worst possible thing happened when she took the stand. She completely froze. She had no clue how she could face that horrible man again, but then she remembered something. She quickly signed to Karl, and that sign would change her life.
The little girl could feel her heart beating in her chest. She had never been so scared in her young life, but Karl was there the whole time. He truly was the very best friend she could have hoped for.
The girl signed for Karl to come sit by her, and he immediately rose to her. His very presence calmed her down, and his big, muscular body made her feel safe. With Karl by her side, the little girl could testify. She made it through the whole process without any problems. All of her prepping came to her, and she continued to grow stronger. But what happened at the end of court?
Karl was like a four-legged bodyguard. He didn’t simply keep her safe physically. He safeguarded her emotional well-being as well when she was forced to face the one man who was a real-life nightmare. Thankfully, everything went well. She gave her testimony. But was her friendship with Karl over?
Thanks to Karl, the little girl could testify. Because of Karl’s help, the man was sentenced to jail, and would never hurt the little girl again. What an incredible victory, and it was all thanks to Karl. He completely changed the little girl’s life. She never had to worry about that man again, and her life was forever free of him. And all it took was the confidence that the pup gave to her. Karl’s story quickly grew.
This little girl was braver than most grown-ups. She helped put a bad man in jail, and he’d never be able to scare her or anyone else again. Karl played a huge role in getting her through this. Naturally, her relationship with Karl was all anyone could talk about it.
Karl’s story has been seen by millions of people. From actual news coverage to social media posts, Karl has truly made his mark. Because of this, the K9th Circuit Program has gotten tons of attention. The trainers of these heroes of the courtroom are grateful for Karl’s fame. Now there are more children that know that they can have a fluffy protector by their side on the stand. And Joanna, Karl’s trainer, couldn’t be happier.
No one could believe could have imagined how resilient this puppy with a hearing problem was going to be. His trainers were pretty proud too, especially when people praised the pooch for being so pawsome.
Karl doesn’t only support the kids in the courtroom. Once the trial is done, he doesn’t stop seeing the children. “We’ll be there as long as the child wants Karl to stay in their life. He’s helped a lot of children,” Joanna said in a recent interview. Children don’t have to deal with the court’s aftermath alone. They can schedule visits with Karl, which can help them heal from the process.
Karl is in charge of helping kids get through a horribly stressful situation. But if you’re worried that Karl will get yanked from their arms once the trial ends, don’t be. The trainers know how much Karl means to the children. They want the pooch to help them heal. So, the last thing they would ever do is make a situation worse by separating them.
And Karl continues on with his life. Even though he doesn’t realize it, Karl is a hero to many kids, and he continues to serve and protect. Thanks to his protection, kids never have to worry again. Karl just keeps spending his days doing what he does best. Karl and the rest of the canines in the unit make an amazing difference to children on an everyday basis. And even though Karl will never understand, the world thanks you!
Karl has proven that not every hero wears a cape. Sometimes they’re furry and oh-so-adorable. He may not realize it, but he’s making a huge difference in the lives of these children. We’re certainly glad that there are tons of Karls out there in the world willing and able to help, just like he does.