Bringing Pawsitive Support to Students

In partnership with It’s a Dog’s Life Fostering Network Kenora and Therapeutic Paws Canada, we are proud to offer regular therapy dog visits to SJPII, STLA, and STAHS. These visits provide vital emotional support to our students, helping to reduce stress and foster a sense of well-being. At STAHS, therapy dogs are present during key stress periods, including exams, the transition for incoming grade 7 students, and during difficult times. Elementary students at SJPII also benefit greatly from these visits, especially during EQAO testing, where the calming presence of the dogs helps students feel more relaxed and focused.

We also benefit from several other programs through Therapeutic Paws Canada. Explore more about these valuable initiatives below.

The Paws To Read® (PTR) program is offered to primary schools and libraries free of charge. In the PTR® program, children read to a Child Certified pet in a relaxed atmosphere. Reading with a pet helps to improve a child’s self confidence and desire to read. The pet provides a non-judgmental and engaged audience. Teachers and librarians are strong supporters of the Paws To Read® program and have stated that many children have increased their reading skills by several levels and all that participate have found joy and increased confidence in reading with a pet. Participation in our literacy program has continued to be a proven valuable asset to many educators across the country.

 PAWS Room

Schools and larger groups are offered the PAWS Room program. TPOC volunteers visit many secondary schools, colleges and universities through this larger format setting. These visits are most often requested during exams and in periods of high stress such as a traumatic incident.  The presence of a therapy pet helps reduce the student’s stress levels and provides an opportunity to focus on something good during what may otherwise be a tough time for students. PAWS Room visits can also reduce feelings of loneliness for students while living away from family and their own pets during the school year.

Paws for Comfort

Therapeutic Paws of Canada is proud to offer the Paws for Comfort program. This program has been designed for visitation with First Responders, shelters, hospices, disaster sites, grief/loss support, school crisis support and where-ever there is a need.  With the increased recognition of the need for health and wellness support throughout our emergency services, schools, and communities this program is quickly becoming a valuable resource for service providers.

Paws-Abilities

Therapeutic Paws of Canada offers the Paws-Abilities programs for people of all ages to explore the full “paws-ability” to reach their goals.  TPOC believes in bringing the fun and joy back into tasks that may be incredibly difficult.  Our teams work with mental, physical, emotional, and trauma induced disabilities.  We tailor our programs to the individual needs of the person.  Some visits focus on social interaction, some on physical motivation in physiotherapy, and some on attentiveness and calming.  Simply having a pet therapy team present takes the focus off the task at hand and directs it to the interaction between the person and the pet. No matter the goal, the outcomes are always positive and bring the fun factor into the challenge of the person’s regular therapy.