Reshareworthy
March 6, 2026
Inside one Fulton County courtroom, there’s a member of the court who welcomes visitors without judgment and greets them with compassion and a friendly tail wag. Meet Icee, the court dog.
Icee knows all about second chances. Before becoming a comforting presence in the courtroom, she experienced firsthand what violence can do to a life. She ended up in a shelter after being abused, neglected, and shot in the leg.
“But she went through the Canine Cellmates program, and she has a really good life now,” Judge Emily Richardson said. “She’s been abused and neglected; she has a bullet in her leg; she’s had a rough go round.”
After Icee graduated from the program, she was adopted by Judge Richardson, who now brings her to the courtroom in Fulton County’s Behavioural Health Court.
Icee’s presence there has a powerful effect.
“If they can come in more relaxed, more engaged, better able to communicate with me, they’re going to be more successful in the program in the long run,” Judge Richardson said.
The idea behind Canine Cellmates is that the healing goes both ways. Susan Jacobs-Meadows, who founded the program, says dogs have a unique way of helping people rediscover empathy and connection, saying, “They see the good inside us and they love us for it, even when we can’t love ourselves.”
Judge Richardson agrees. “We all have the ability to make changes, to improve and to become the best version of ourselves and then hopefully start a new chapter in our lives,” she told Kens 5 News.
Today, Icee spends her days offering quiet comfort to people navigating the justice system. The rescue dog helps calm defendants and brings hope into a place where stress often rules.
Icee’s journey is a powerful reminder that second chances aren’t just for people — they’re for every life willing to heal, grow, and trust again.
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