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Grain Valley Schools

Every Student. Every Day.

Partnering Animals With Schools (PAWS)

Students hold awards while standing together. Ray the therapy dog is sitting next to the students in the photo.
A therapy dog sits in a classroom
Students in music class are singing while the therapy dog sits nearby.
A student sits in a chair with the therapy dog on their lap.
Students greet a therapy dog in the hallway at school while the therapy dogs rolls onto its back.
Students stand next to the therapy dog for a photo.
Students sit on the couch and read while a therapy dog sits on their laps.

Partnering with Animals in School

In partnership with Bright Futures Grain Valley, the Grain Valley Schools Therapy Dog Program provides a grant for a therapy dog to be formally trained and placed at each school. The therapy dog program is designed to support students' emotional, social, and academic well-being by integrating certified therapy dogs into the school environment. 

 

Make a Donation to the Grain Valley Schools PAWS Program

 

Bright Futures Grain Valley Logo

 

Meet Our Therapy Dogs

KC

Grain Valley Schools Leadership Center

Kramer

Matthews Elementary School

Alice

South Middle School

Ray

Stony Point Elementary School

Bear

Grain Valley High School

Millie

North Middle School

Maddox

Sni-A-Bar Elementary

Duncan

Prairie Branch Elementary

What is a Therapy Dog?

A therapy dog is a specially trained and certified dog that provides comfort, emotional support, and companionship in various settings, including schools. Unlike service dogs, which perform specific tasks for individuals with disabilities, therapy dogs offer general emotional and social support to a broader group of people.

In a school setting, therapy dogs help students regulate their emotions, improve social skills, and engage more effectively in learning. All therapy dogs in the Grain Valley Schools’ School Therapy Dog Program must meet specific behavioral and training criteria to ensure they are well-suited for interaction with students and staff.

Purpose of the Therapy Dog Program (PAWS)

Recognizing the challenges students face, including stress, anxiety, trauma, and behavioral struggles, this program aims to provide a structured, research-backed approach to utilizing therapy dogs as a resource for emotional regulation, relationship-building, and engagement in learning.

Therapy dogs have been shown to positively impact student mental health, behavior, and academic motivation. By implementing a standardized district-wide therapy dog program, we ensure that schools across the district benefit from clear policies, consistent training, and evidence-based best practices.

The primary goals of this program are to:

  • Foster a positive, supportive, and emotionally safe school climate.
  • Reduce stress, anxiety, and behavioral disruptions in students.
  • Provide additional support for students with special needs, emotional regulation challenges, or trauma histories.
  • Increase student engagement and motivation in academic and social settings.
  • Align with trauma-informed and brain-based learning approaches to promote student success.

Benefits of a District-Wide Therapy Dog Program

Implementing therapy dogs across the district provides consistent support to students and enhances school culture in meaningful ways.

Emotional and Psychological Benefits

  • Therapy dogs help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression among students.
  • They promote emotional regulation, helping students manage frustration, anger, or sadness.
  • The presence of a therapy dog can increase oxytocin (the "bonding hormone") while decreasing cortisol (the "stress hormone"), creating a calming effect in students.

Social and Behavioral Improvements

  • Therapy dogs help students build connections with peers, teachers, and other school staff.
  • They can reduce behavioral issues by encouraging empathy, patience, and respect.
  • Structured interactions with therapy dogs can support students with social difficulties, including those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or emotional disabilities (ED).

Academic Engagement and Motivation

  • Students may feel more comfortable and motivated to engage in schoolwork with a therapy dog present.
  • Reading programs with therapy dogs encourage reluctant readers to practice literacy skills in a non-judgmental setting.
  • Therapy dogs can be used as an incentive for academic participation and positive behavior reinforcement.

Trauma-Informed & Brain-Based Learning Connections

  • Students with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) or trauma histories benefit from predictable, calming interactions with therapy dogs.
  • Therapy dogs help regulate the nervous system, supporting students in transitioning from heightened emotional states to a more focused and engaged mindset.
  • Emotional safety is critical for learning; therapy dogs help create a school environment where students feel valued and supported.