our minds matter

• Create a safe space for stress-relief and emotional support for everyone in your school
• Play with some cute dogs!

• School can be a really stressful place, especially during testing season. Providing a source of joy and relaxation in the form of therapy dogs can give students and staff a big emotional boost! 

• Entire school

• Seek permission from administrators to host this event in a space that is safe and accommodating for everyone
• Coordinate with staff/other club members to get the space set up and designate volunteers to help direct folks to the space

Things to Consider for Therapy Dog Visits

Here are some things you will want to consider prior to scheduling a visit from therapy dogs:

• Administration approval – please contact your school’s central office to get approval from your school administration for a visit from therapy dogs. Get help from your club sponsor for this if needed!
• Time and location – determine where and when would be the best time to have a visit from therapy dogs. Maybe during exam season when folks are stressed? Perhaps during a club meeting? Or one day at lunch in a central area where students often walk by?
• Allergies – be sure to give folks a heads up about the location of the dogs in case anyone has allergies and wants to avoid the area.  Alternatively, host the visit outside to avoid exposure for folks who might have allergies.  
• Safety/Comfortability – while therapy dogs can be relaxing and exciting for some people, this is not the case for everyone. Please be aware of this as you market the upcoming visit and choose a suitable location so folks who want to avoid the area can do so conveniently. 

Requesting a Visit for Therapy Dogs

• Click HERE to view several organizations that provide therapy dog visits. You are encouraged to reach out directly to these organizations and coordinate a visit with the support of your club sponsor! 
• However, if you would like OMM’s help in coordinating a visit, please email [email protected] with the following information:
  • Your school’s name
  • The adult point of contact at your school (likely your club sponsor)
  • The day(s) and time(s) you would like for therapy dogs to visit
  • From there, OMM will send out a request for teams of dogs and handlers to visit your school. While we can send out a request, we cannot guarantee that teams of dogs and handlers will sign up.
  • Please provide three or more weeks of advance notice, so that OMM can put out a request with enough time to hopefully secure volunteers.

• Promote the therapy dogs visit on posters around the school, on the morning announcements, social media, and word of mouth! 
  • Include the date, time, and location in all of your promotions for the event
• Be sure to let everyone know that the dogs are certified therapy/support animals, and remind folks that this is a voluntary event and no one needs to attend if animals are not a source of comfort or joy for them.

• Estimate the number of students that attended the event
• Did folks seem to be enjoying the dogs? Did this generate conversations about stress relief and the importance of joy? Success!

• What went well with this campaign?
• What could have gone better?
• What can we do to make this a regular occurrence in our school (if you decide that’s right for you)?

• List of organizations that provide therapy dogs
• Reach out to us at [email protected] if you need support in getting this set up