LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — At the Children's Protection Center, staff members know that healing doesn’t always start with words. Sometimes, it begins with the quiet presence of a black Labrador named Simone.

On this International Dog Day, the four-year-old facility dog is being celebrated not just for her companionship, but for the crucial role she plays in comforting children who come through the center after experiencing trauma.

Simone has been on staff for just over two years, after her handler Kayla Wood and the center’s director trained alongside one another to learn her specialized skills.

“When the vest is on, she knows it’s time to go to work,” Wood explained. “When the vest is off, she’s just a typical lab who loves to play.”

Her work, however, is anything but typical. Simone has bee

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