Eddie the Therapy Dog is Back!

We are excited to welcome Eddie the therapy dog back to Houlton Elementary School! Eddie and his owner are volunteers with the "You're Not Alone" organization. Eddie will be coming to school one day a week for two hours at a time beginning September 29th. 

Below is a message from the "You're Not Alone" organization.

Dear Families,

We are writing to tell you about an exciting opportunity for our school community. With the support of your superintendent and school administration, we are excited to inform you that we are adding a school therapy dog onsite for up to 2 hours a week.

You’re Not Alone is a nonprofit based out of Monticello, MN. Their mission is “to shatter the stigma that surrounds mental illness, one therapy dog at a time”.

What are the benefits of having a school dog?

The primary purpose of a Therapy Dog in our school community is to motivate, inspire, regulate, and engage students. Numerous research studies have shown the benefits of therapy dogs in school. Therapy dogs have been working in schools across the nation for quite some time now. Evidence indicates that benefits include:

• Cognitive - Companionship with a dog stimulates memory, problem-solving skills, and game playing.
• Social - A dog provides a positive mutual topic for discussion and encourages responsibility, well-being, and focused interaction with others.
• Emotional - School dogs improve self-esteem, and acceptance from others and lift mood, often provoking laughter,and fun. Dogs can also teach compassion and respect for other living things as well as relieving anxiety.
• Physical - Interaction with a furry friend reduces blood pressure, provides tactile stimulation, assists with pain management, gives motivation to move, and walk, and stimulates the senses.
• Reading - Reading to dogs has been proven to help children develop literacy skills and build confidence, through both the calming effect the dog's presence has on children as well as the fact that a dog will listen to children read without being judgmental or critical. This comforting environment helps to nurture children's enthusiasm for reading and provides them with the confidence to read aloud.

Your Therapy Dog’s Role:

• Provides unconditional love to both students and staff
• Provides a calming presence while participating in small groups
• Non-judgmental listener
• Provides stress relief to both students and staff
• Handler provides conversation starters in regards to mental health & wellness.

Rules and expectations will be implemented that support student interaction with the therapy dog and its handler. These rules include, but are not limited to:

• Your therapy dog will always be on a leash with their therapy dog handler.
• Students with allergies or fear of dogs will not be asked to work with the therapy dog.
• All students will be introduced to therapy dog/handler and uniform expectations for working and interacting with the pup will be explained.
• Your therapy dog is certified. They are not trained to perform K9 or service animal techniques.

Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. We are always here to help.

We are very excited for programming to begin, and for the ability to support the students & staff at your school! For more information about our non-profit, visit our website at www.ynausa.org where you can check out all the pawsitive excitement surrounding our mission.