FREE THERAPY DOG VISITS IN CENTRAL OREGON
Louise is our resident therapy dog and is certified through both Alliance of Therapy Dogs and First Responder Therapy Dogs to do visits in hospitals, schools, fire and police stations, and other mental health events.
If your facility or station would like us to bring Louise in for therapy sessions, please send us an email about the specifics of what you are looking for. We do not charge for therapy dog visits.
OUR THERAPY DOGS
Dogs have an amazing ability to heal and bring us together. Many of our program dogs go on to become therapy dogs in special education classrooms, disability resource and counseling offices. Therapy dogs can be helpful for groups of people in a wide range of environments. All of our program therapy dogs are well trained, friendly, and sure to brighten up everyone's day! Our therapy dogs placed in facilities are $5,000-$6,000, depending on if you want us to transport the therapy dog long distance to your location. We will spend time getting the new handler trained on how to work with the therapy dog and will prepare each therapy dog ahead of time as much as possible for what they will face on the job site (classrooms, sirens, police/fire stations, etc).
We also perform therapy dog visits with our trainers to local facilities upon request.
The first step to adding one of our therapy dogs to your facility is by filling out our Therapy Dog Application found this page. All applications can be emailed to us at theservicedogconnectionprogram@gmail.com for review. Once the application is received, someone from our team will reach out and schedule a phone call with you.
SDC Therapy Dog Application (pdf)
DownloadOUR PLACED THERAPY DOGS
Casper is a fully trained Special Ed Classroom Therapy Dog at Swanson Elementary in Palmer, Alaska. Casper makes the kids feel calmer, gives deep pressure therapy when students are overwhelmed, and helps students stay safe during transitions by keeping them from running off. This lovable Golden Retriever is living his best life! Note: Casper was originally training to be a psychiatric service dog, which is why in some of the video clips his vest says service dog instead of therapy dog.
We made the news!!
Alaska's Channel 11 KTVA News recently did a story on Casper who was placed as a therapy dog in Swanson Elementary School. Link to the full story here: https://www.ktva.com/story/41605280/new-service-dog-provides-therapy-for-elementary-school-students-with-special-needs
Bailee's the Therapy Dog's First Day of School
Bailee was placed as a therapy dog at Houston High School in Big Lake, AK in February, 2021. The school decided that the staff and students really needed something to help with the trauma from an earthquake that had destroyed their middle school and the surrounding community years earlier, as well as the stress from the Covid-19 Pandemic.