URBANA – The business card reads: "Quinn. Born Aug. 21, 2002. Color Chocolate. Likes running, ball, tricks, jumping."

Quinn, that rare canine who carries his own business card, is a friendly but hard-working therapy dog trained to work with children and adults in stressful situations.

The 4-year-old Labrador retriever soon will become the first four-legged volunteer for the Court Appointed Special Advocates, who represent abused or neglected children in the child-welfare system. The next time a frightened child has to testify in court, Quinn could be right beside him to provide support.

"These kids have been through so much. That's what Quinn is there for," said owner Kathy Trammel of Philo.

Quinn has gone through extensive therapy training and logged more than 150 hours of visits to nursing homes, Carle Hospital's rehabilitation unit and Cunningham Children's Home. CASA was the next logical step, she said.

CASA officials were thrilled when Trammel approached them, and they already have a few children in mind.

Dogs provide a sense of comfort and safety that can help children open up about abuse, said Jillian Smith, one of two CASA volunteer coordinators. She's a consultant for families with behavior-challenged children, and her golden retriever is a valuable partner.

"It's amazing, just the difference a dog can make," Smith said. "It gives them something to pet and look at while they're saying all these things, so they don't have to look you in the eye."

Quinn, in particular, was easy to train.

"He's very responsive. He wants to please," said Trammel, who carries a small bag of treats wherever they go. She and her husband, Harold, have two other labs – Hope, 5, and 1-year-old Jed. An embroidered portrait of Tig, a 13-year-old lab who died last spring, sits on Harold's desk at the ASPCA in Urbana.

Quinn will be "sworn in" as a CASA volunteer Nov. 16. To be precise, he can't take the oath; Trammel must do it on his behalf. She's hoping Quinn can be in the courtroom with her, but they might have a separate ceremony for him. Quinn has learned how to place his paw on a Bible.

Judge Holly Clemons, who handles many child-welfare cases, allowed Quinn to explore her courtroom earlier this week so he could get used to it. He sniffed the jury box, the judge's bench and just about everything else. Clemons fetched him some water using one of her own cups and held it so he could drink out of it.

"She is just tickled to death about the whole thing," Trammel said.

Research on animal-assisted therapy is sparse, consisting mostly of testimonials and case reports, but they indicate therapy dogs can reduce anxiety and improve behavior in children under stress. Trammel said the unconditional love that dogs like Quinn provide is the key.

"When Quinn's there, they've got his undivided attention – and mine, too, but Quinn focuses on them," she said. "For a kid who doesn't have parents, that's a lot, to have 30 to 60 minutes worth of total attention."