Canine Partners in Education

Nor’wester Therapy Dogs supports:

Schools

Colleges

Libraries

WHAT WE DO

Our therapy dog teams visit schools, colleges, and libraries in Bucks and Montgomery Counties, helping children gain academic confidence in a calm, supportive environment. When a student works in tandem with one of our certified therapy dogs, anxiety melts away and the joy of learning happens.

Literacy and Learning

Nor’wester Therapy Dog teams have positively impacted the learning environment of thousands of students since we implemented our program in 2007.

Community Outreach

Our dedicated volunteers and their therapy dogs participate in a variety of community events which support our goals and mission statement.

Emotional Support

Our therapy dog teams work in tandem with teachers and counselors to support students with social and emotional needs.

Crisis Intervention

Our therapy dog teams aid and assist crisis intervention teams working with students and families in response to a school community tragedy.

WHERE WE WORK

TEACHER RESOURCES

Welcoming a therapy dog into your classroom is a truly special experience — one that inspires confidence, curiosity, and joy in young learners. Get started with these resources.

MEET OUR THERAPY DOGS

OUR STORY

The brainchild of Council Rock parent and Labrador Retriever breeder, Wendi Huttner, Nor’wester Therapy Dogs was founded in 2007 by Wendi and Deborah Glessner, a retired Council Rock librarian and district library-media coordinator.

FROM THE SOURCE

“Your program is priceless! Each year I have seen my more reluctant readers grow to confident readers. Thank you for allowing us to participate.”

Teacher

One of my struggling 2nd graders made significant progress in her DRA level after reading to Annie. She started the year at level 12 and finished the year at level 24. Reading to Annie helped this child’s self confidence improve greatly. This, in turn, helped her become a more successful reader!

Teacher

We have been able to incorporate speech and language skills during times with Moose. In addition, Moose has provided extra incentive for students to be on task during the week in school.

Teacher

This program allows our students to open up and take risks that they may normally have difficulty doing on a daily basis. They look forward to our dog therapy days!

Teacher