Monday, October 20, 2025

Voices From the Field: An Interview with Educator and Therapy Dog Handler, Leslie Gravino

Source: Temescal Associates

By Sam Piha

Through a partnership with Las Positas College and Dublin High School in Northern California, the Career and College Planning class was offered to students in Valley High School (a continuation school, part of Dublin High School). By invitation from the principal, educator Leslie Gravino, brought her golden doodle, Luke the dog, to serve as a therapy dog for the students in her class. To learn more about the benefits of therapy dogs, we asked Leslie a few questions about her experience and her responses are below.

Q: Describe your situation.

A: Through a partnership with Las Positas College and Dublin High School, the Career and College Planning class was offered to students in Valley High School (a continuation school, part of Dublin High). The class was large (32 students) and there were behavior issues that made teaching the class difficult. It was there I discovered the positive power of therapy dogs. 

Source: Temescal Associates

Q: Describe how Luke the dog was used.

A: Luke was brought in on the leash, which allowed students to walk him if they wanted. Otherwise, Luke was free to roam the classroom. He often chose 1 or 2 students to sit by. The kids were free to pet him or cuddle. I also brought dog treats and showed the students how to get him to perform tricks. 

Q: Did you need permission from the school?

A: Because Valley High School is a continuation school, they were able to accommodate therapy dogs on a regular basis. The Principal of Valley said they sometimes used therapy dogs to helps the students stay calm and focused. I decided to bring my dog Luke to class to see if it would help students.

Q: Did Luke receive special training?

A: Luke was trained as a puppy to follow directions and not jump on people. He was not formally trained as a service dog but remains calm and friendly with people and other dogs.

Q: Did you prepare the kids before the visit?

A: The week before I brought Luke to class, I asked the students if that would be a problem for any of them. They welcomed the idea.

Q: What were the results of his visits?


Source: Temescal Associates
A: As soon as the students came into the classroom and saw Luke, they responded with smiles, pets and comments like: “can he sit with me?” Once the lesson began and Luke settled next to a group of students, they seemed more alert, calm and smiled more.

One student in particular, who often looked serious and slightly “lost” in the classroom, came over to Luke every class; he’d pet him, walked him to a fire drill and Luke began to sit under the desk by his feet. It was evident that Luke brought out emotions and affected this student. 

Q: Why do you think the therapy dog visits were successful?

A: Most people respond positively to dogs, especially ones that are calm and friendly. Luke is very calm and somehow made the students calmer. Perhaps animals bring out the softer, more vulnerable feelings of teenagers. Therapy dogs may not just comfort others but enable others to comfort them. 

Q: Were there any downsides or problems?

A: There was no downside to bringing Luke to class. He just made all of us happier. 

Q: Would you recommend the use of therapy dogs for youth programs?

A: Definitely. I highly recommend therapy dogs in any situation where you want to see people smile, be calm, show their caring side and feel part of a community. Dogs have a way of bringing people together, and usually bring out the best in all of us.

MORE ABOUT...

Leslie Gravino
Leslie Gravino holds a Master’s in Art Therapy. She has worked with adolescent girls in a residential setting, and later in the San Francisco Mental Health System for 18 years, where she started businesses that trained people who were homeless and psychiatrically disabled to gain job skills. She then served as the Coordinator of Vocational Services at Las Positas College, Livermore, CA. There she started a computer repair business on campus that served the community. She also was a Psychology Counseling Instructor teaching the following courses: Diversity Issues in America, Career and College Planning and Success Strategies for College.

Luke was featured in several videos that Temescal Associates created to help kids better understand the COVID-19 pandemic. To watch these videos and learn more about My Pal Luke, click here.

Monday, October 13, 2025

Therapy Dogs: An Interview with Pet Partners

Source: The Campanile

By Sam Piha

There is a growing concern regarding the mental health of young people as we are seeing an increase in anxiety and depression. Some say this is due to a number of factors, including the COVID pandemic, regional wars, climate change and the latest threat of deportation. One solution is the introduction of therapy dogs to afterschool programs. Below are responses to an interview we did with Mary Margaret Callahan, the Chief Mission Officer for Pet Partners, an organization that has registered and supported thousands of volunteer therapy animal teams who have made millions of meaningful visits around the world that help improve the physical, social, and emotional lives of both the people and animals involved.

Q: How would you define "therapy dog"? And how are they different from service dogs?

A: A therapy dog is an animal that can provide physical, psychological, and emotional benefits to those they interact with, typically in facility settings such as healthcare, assisted living and schools. These pets are evaluated on their ability to safely interact with a wide range of populations, and their handlers are trained in best practices to ensure effective interactions that support animal welfare. Therapy animal handlers may volunteer their time to visit with their animals in the community, or they may be practitioners who utilize the power of the human-animal bond in professional settings.

The best way to contrast therapy dogs and service dogs is to think about their relationship with others. Therapy dogs have a one-to-many relationship with people – a single therapy dog may interact with, support or benefit a number of people. For example, a therapy dog in a school setting may interact with dozens of children, faculty and staff over the course of a day. A service dog, on the other hand, has a one-to-one relationship with the individual they support. For example, a seeing eye dog helps a single individual with visual impairment.  And unlike service dogs, a therapy animal has no special rights of access, except in those facilities where they are welcomed. 

Q: How are therapy dogs in the classroom effective? How are they utilized?

A: Therapy dogs have a wide variety of benefits in the classroom. They have been very popular in read aloud programs for years where there is no judgement for mispronunciation or words stumbled over. Additionally, therapy animals provide emotional support by reducing stress and anxiety, such as during midterms and finals weeks on high school and college campuses. They also can broadly enhance mood and well-being with visits from a therapy dog being a highlight of the week for students and even help improve school attendance.

The presence of therapy animals can also promote social development, fostering positive interactions between students and promoting empathy and compassion.  Academically, the presence of therapy animals can be motivational and there are studies which suggest improved focus and attention by students in classrooms where therapy dogs are present.

Therapy animals can be incorporated into school settings both formally and informally, depending on the goals of the teacher or staff person. Informal activities like meet and greets may be ideal for stress relief sessions, whereas creating lesson plans that involve the therapy dog would be a formalized way to enhance learning outcomes.  

Q: While it is possible to contact organizations to visit with their dogs, we believe that many afterschool workers who have dogs that may qualify, may want to bring them to their program. Can you comment on this? 

A: If you have an affiliative dog with good basic obedience skills with whom you have a strong bond or relationship yourself, you may be a candidate to become a therapy animal team. It’s important to realize that handling your own dog in a work setting means you’re responsible for both the students in your program and the wellbeing of your dog, so it does take training and preparation for you as the handler too, not just your dog.

Q: What would be the requirements that future therapy dogs should have?

A: Future therapy dogs should:

  • Be physically and socially mature, typically at least 1 year of age for dogs,
  • Be in good physical health with no acute or chronic health conditions and be vaccinated against rabies,
  • Have a strong bond with their handler and be responsive to their handler’s direction and support,
  • Have basic obedience skills, and
  • Most importantly - welcome, not merely tolerate, interactions with strangers.

It’s important to recognize we’re asking our pets to participate in this activity. A good therapy dog loves what they do. If you have to cajole, bribe, or force your animal to be a therapy dog, not only are you damaging the relationship you have with your pet, but you’re also putting yourself, your animal and your program at risk for an incident or injury.

Future handlers must be able to:

  • Read your pet’s body language, recognizing approaching and avoidant behaviors,
  • Anticipate your pet’s response in different situations and set them up for success at all times,
  • Guide interactions, always advocating for the safety and well-being of your pet,
  • Interact with your pet positively, supporting them as needed, and
  • Cue or redirect your pet gently and effectively, without force or coercion.

Behind every great therapy dog is a handler who is vigilant about ensuring their animal’s welfare and enjoyment of therapy animal work. These handlers have a strong trust-based relationship with their animal. When your dog trusts that you always have their best interests at heart because you actively ‘listen’ to their body language and support them, they will be confident in interacting with others, even if something unusual or unexpected happens.

Q: Should dog handlers get insurance?

A: Absolutely. In today’s litigious society, you should be sure you are protected in the event of real or perceived errors or accidents. It’s worthwhile noting that even if nothing really did go wrong and you or your animal were not at fault, someone can still sue you and you’ll still need insurance to pay for your defense. Volunteer therapy animal programs should offer insurance coverage (always ask), but if you are incorporating your dog into your paid work, you’ll need separate insurance coverage. 

Q: In your experience, how should the afterschool program work in coordination with the school when introducing a therapy dog and communicating with parents?

A: Starting a therapy animal program involves a lot of pre-work. You’ll want to talk through risk assessment, assuring your school administration that the handler and therapy animal are well prepared and can safely interact with students. You’ll likely need to develop plans for parental permission as well as how to manage students with allergies or fears. You may also be interested in creating behavior contracts with students so they understand the expectations of how they’ll interact respectfully with and near a therapy dog. It’s also important to set expectations with administration, parents and students that the therapy dog has agency and some days visits may be cut short or cancelled because that’s what is in the best interest of the animal. Good preparation and creating buy- in with the administration and parents will go a long way to launching a successful therapy animal program.

MORE ABOUT...

Mary Margaret Callahan
Mary Margaret Callahan is the Chief Mission Officer for Pet Partners, where she is responsible for leading mission delivery, including the Therapy Animal Program and grassroots advocacy program. As an animal lover with a background spanning education and health care, Mary Margaret couldn’t be more delighted to find herself at the nexus of her interests and experience working to improve human health and well-being through the power of the human-animal bond.

The daughter of a veterinarian, Mary Margaret grew up surrounded by pets and has a deep appreciation for the strength of the human-animal bond. She joined Pet Partners in 2013 and has worked to establish the organization as both an influencer and a resource within the animal-assisted intervention (AAI) and human-animal bond (HAB) community. In 2018 she was named one of PetAge Magazine’s Women of Influence. Mary Margaret lives on a small farm outside Seattle with her husband, daughter, and menagerie of animals including dogs, cats, guinea pigs, chickens, goats, and miniature donkeys.

Since 1977, Pet Partners has registered and supported thousands of volunteer therapy animal teams who have made millions of meaningful visits around the world that help improve the physical, social, and emotional lives of both the people and animals involved. Their therapy animal for workplace program is available nationwide with the help of their dedicated therapy animal volunteers!


To learn more about therapy dogs and how to introduce them to your afterschool program, check out our briefing paper, Bringing Therapy Dogs into Youth Afterschool Programs. To read and download, click here.

Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Therapy Dogs in Afterschool: Getting Started

Top Left: Pets in the Classroom, Center: PSI Solutions, Top Right: Dog Time,
Bottom Left: Valley Humane Society, Bottom Right: Temescal Associates.

By Sam Piha 

Before introducing a therapy dog into your program, there are several steps that come first:

  • Discuss with staff: It is important to discuss the topic of a therapy dog with the program staff. Are they in favor and what questions do they have? There may be a staff member who has a dog that would meet all the requirements for a comfort dog.
  • Permission: If the program is school- based, it is important to talk to the principal and learn what are the requirements by the school district (certification, insurance, etc.). It is also important to review with the afterschool provider organization and if appropriate, your landlord. 
  • Trial Run: You can search for local organizations that allow you to request a therapy dog visit to your program.
How Do I Find a Local Therapy Dog Organizations to Request and Schedule Visits? 
You can do an internet search to identify local organizations that feature therapy dogs. These organizations offer additional materials and often provide site visits with their dogs. Organizations should be vetted to some degree. For example, do they meet the Standards of Practice in AAI which stipulates things like insurance coverages and recurring evaluations.

Can Any Dog Be a Therapy Dog?
According to Rainbow Animal Assisted Therapy, “The key to any dog’s ability to be a successful therapy dog is its temperament. In general, a good therapy dog is responsive to its owner as well as other people, has good manners, is willing to learn new things, and doesn’t become overly stressed in new situations. Therapy dogs must be friendly and gentle, enjoy human contact, and feel content being petted and handled.

Dogs should be 12 months or older, have lived in a permanent home for at least 6 months, should respond to basic obedience commands (sit, down, stay, etc.), and be able to walk on a loose lead. Dogs must also be healthy and up-to-date on all vaccinations. ” [i] Potential therapy dogs should genuinely enjoy, not just tolerate, interactions with others. If your dog has these qualities, then he or she is a good candidate for animal assisted therapy. 

Making Your Dog A Therapy Dog
“Therapy dogs are everyday pets. They do not need extensive training, although obedience training, whether in a class or at home, is very good for reinforcing the bond and communication between you and your pet. Therapy dogs must be well-mannered. No jumping or barking here! Most importantly, you and your dog need to have a bond that demonstrates not owner and pet, but partners. For all the requirements to become certified with The Alliance of Therapy Dogs, go to www.therapydogs.com.” [ii]

“There is a surge in demand among schools and universities to use therapy dogs to develop better student engagement.” [iii] 

Basic Dog Requirements:
Dogs must be well-tempered, outgoing and friendly, and adaptable to a variety of settings. It is also important that the animal is reliably house trained, healthy and free of internal and external parasites, has no history of aggression towards people or other pets, be well bonded and responsive to their handler.

Therapy Dog Handlers
The bigger challenge is finding therapy dog handlers who are adequately prepared. It’s rarely the dog that causes the problem. Many issues can be traced to a handler who is not capable of recognizing or appropriately responding to changes in their dog’s body language. Therapy Animal Handlers must be able to advocate for their animal at all times, which includes ending interactions when it’s necessary.

Do Therapy Dogs Need Certification?
Therapy dogs don’t need a certification – not even service dogs need to have an official certification or identifying materials on them – but a certification can make things easier when it comes to obtaining emotional support animal rights. It is important that both the handler and the animal have been adequately prepared and vetted to interact with the public.

People interested in being a therapy animal team should seek registration or certification with a reputable therapy animal organization.

If You Want to Get a Therapy Dog Certification
“To get your canine companion in the world of therapy dogs, first it needs basic behavioral training to prepare them for their work with the public. Once they have finished their basic training, therapy dogs must learn to comply with the 10 skills of the Canine Good Citizen test, provided by the American Kennel Club (AKC). Once they pass the CGC test, they must be certified as therapy dogs by one of many qualified organizations.” While the CGC is a useful tool for some teams, it’s not required generally speaking.

Is Additional Insurance Needed?
For therapy dogs, liability insurance can protect against potential financial burdens from accidents or incidents involving the dog, covering expenses like medical bills and legal fees. Consider specialized policies or endorsements for animal liability.


END NOTES:
[i] Rainbow Animal Assisted Therapy, Can Any Dog be a Therapy Dog?
[ii] Alliance of Therapy Dogs, How Therapy Dogs Help to Reduce Student Stress and Anxiety
[iii] IBID.
[iv] Matt Fleming, Therapy Dog & Comfort Dog Certification Guide


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Voices From the Field: An Interview with Educator and Therapy Dog Handler, Leslie Gravino

Source: Temescal Associates By Sam Piha Through a partnership with Las Positas College and Dublin High School in Northern California, the Ca...