MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — A Goldendoodle is helping calm the anxiety of children in Berkeley County Circuit Court.
Circuit Judge Steven Redding introduced Raya Sunshine to the public at this week’s Berkeley County Commission meeting.
The pup is a working dog who lives with Judge Redding and his wife. Her “work” is making vulnerable populations, especially youngsters, feel comfortable when they have to be in court.
Redding said Raya Sunshine got her name as a way to honor the late Berkeley County Lt. Deputy Court Marshal Ernie “Sunshine “ Reed.
At Thursday’s meeting, Reed’s widow Terri talked about her late husband.
“Ernie would always greet everyone with the words, ‘Hello, Sunshine! It didn’t matter if he knew you a lifetime, or if he had just met you. That was always something that he would always say,” Terri Reed told the commission.
Raya was born at Fox Creek Farm Goldendoodles & Bernedoodles in Berkeley Springs and underwent 10 weeks of training before her first day of work.
A June 24th entry on her social media page documented the important work Raya has been tasked with doing:
“She had her first heavy lift this morning. Eight year old victim of alleged sexual crime. Raya spent time with her, relaxed her, and allowed her to hold her head high and put the assault behind her to the extent possible. Raya was incredible, allowing this young lady to smile and laugh. I am more convinced than ever that this project is invaluable, and worth the time, money and energy being expended.”
Redding told the commission she’s already having an impact on kids facing tough circumstances.
“We started integrating her into hearings about three weeks ago,” he said. “You can see when she is interacting with the children that she settles them down, she calms them down. You can see their stress melt away.”
Raya is a welcome relief for youngsters who have to come to court to testify or talk about traumatic events.
“These kids are in really difficult, sad situations,” Redding said. “You can see that sadness, at least for the moment, lifted.”
When they are with Raya Sunshine, “the children smile, they laugh, they giggle, they love giving belly rubs,” Judge Redding said. “It just allows them to be normal children at least for a moment.”
There were a number of the late Court Marshal Reed’s former colleagues and family members in attendance at Thursday’s ceremony. Many were visibly moved as speakers remembered the life and legacy of Reed, whom Judge Redding remembered as having “a smile and a stuffed animal” for the children who went through court.
Morgan County Sheriff KC Bohrer worked with Reed in Berkeley County.
“I had the privilege of knowing Ernie for many, many years. He was a friend of mine,” he said on Panhandle Live Thursday. “When I was still with the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department, he was with the Air National Guard Security Police, we interacted a lot and trained a lot. Ernie was just a super guy.”
“His memory lives on in our hearts, but his memory (also) lives on in this service dog, so that’s a wonderful thing,” Sheriff Bohrer said.
Reed was a US Air Force veteran who came to the Berkeley County court system after he retired.
For her part, Terri Reed said the legacy represented by Raya Sunshine represented the things her late husband loved most, “When the idea of Raya was presented to us after Ernie’s passing,” she said, “Even though we were in great sorrow, we knew Raya’s presence here in Berkeley County was going to be an outstanding asset to the county, to the children and everyone in this building who is here on a regular basis, whether you’re here for a hearing or you’re here working on a daily basis.”
“The things Ernie loved most were children, being able to work with them, and pets. And of course, his family, and his coworkers,” she said.
At the start of the ceremony, Judge Redding had a friend from his church, Robert Derby, dedicate Raya Sunshine. Redding said he had seen dedications for animals and even his motorcycle before and said it was a way to honor Ernie Reed’s faith.
Judge Redding expressed his appreciation to the Berkeley County Commission and his colleague 23rd Judicial Circuit Judge Debra McLaughlin for their support of his idea. He also thanked the veterinarian and vet tech from Shenandoah Veterinary Hospital for their support and for answering multiple questions.
He also thanked his wife, whom he says went from not being so sure about the idea to being one of Raya’s favorite people and adding a treat and a note to Redding’s lunch bag for Raya.
Judge Redding would like to inspire other courtrooms across the state to adopt their own version of Raya Sunshine to help bring comfort to vulnerable victims and witnesses.