Pizzaz pays visit to Blytheville Lions Club

BLYTHEVILLE— Pizzaz, a spirited animal, who helps kids and vulnerable adults share difficult testimonies in a court of law brought his message to the Blytheville Lions Club Tuesday afternoon.

Accompanied by his handler, Sherri Beatty, Pizzaz works with Paws for Justice, a state program that brings empathetic, trained canines together with handlers so those with sensitive stories can have support when speaking about their experiences.

Beatty is a Certified Facility Dog Handler and Pizzaz is a Certified Courthouse Facility Dog with the Paws for Justice System.

Born in May 2021, Pizzaz is three-fourths Lab and one-fourth Golden Lab mix. He weighs just over 70 pounds.

Beatty explained Pizzaz serves judicial districts two, three, and 16, which cover Northeast Arkansas and parts of North Central Arkansas.

Pizzaz’s friends across the state include Ari, Reinhold and Roxy.

During court, the dogs are hidden underneath the podium and aren’t allowed to make any noises to avoid anything that could possibly lead to a mistrial.

The P.A.W.S for Justice program was created by AR Code 16-43-1002.

The public may follow the program and the dogs on social media platforms Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Youtube. The Facebook account is PawsforJustice and can be found on Instagram arpawsforjustice.

For more information on PAWS for Justice, contact Beatty at (501) 940-2703.