Celeste Walsen, Executive Director of the Courthouse Dog Foundation, assisted in the creation of the Courthouse Dogs Foundation in 2008. Celeste has raised four puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind and Canine Companions for Independence. One of those puppies was Junie, the sister of Jeeter who served as the inspiration of the Courthouse Dog Foundation. Celeste also served on the Board of Directors for the non-profit organization Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue.Celeste graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA in Psychology and obtained her degree in veterinary medicine from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Celeste facilitates the scientific research in this field between the assistance dog organizations, the academic community, the courthouse facility dog handlers and the Courthouse Dogs Foundation. Celeste provides expert advice on best practices for the successful incorporation of a facility dog into office, child advocacy center and courthouse settings.

Ellen O'Neill-Stephens, JD, retired in 2011 as a senior deputy prosecuting attorney from the King County Prosecutor's Office in Seattle, Washington after 26 years of service. In 2003 she pioneered the use of facility dogs that are graduates of assistance dog organizations to provide emotional support to everyone in the justice system. Ellen is the founder of the Courthouse Dogs Foundation, a non-profit organization that educates legal professionals and promotes best practices for the use of these dogs during the investigation and prosecution of crimes and other stressful legal proceedings. In 2010, Bark Magazine named her among the "100 Best and Brightest for Amazing Advancements in the Dog World over the past 25 years." In 2013, Oprah Magazine named Ellen a "Local Hero" for her work and she also received recognition for The Hague Institute for the Internationalization of the Law for the a successful innovation in their competition for the Innovating Justice Award.