Howard Barkan with Winnie and Debbie Glessner with Hannah and Heidi did ESY (extended school year) visits to Goodnoe Elementary in Council Rock School District to work with Lindsay Hawthorne’s class. One of her students, Nate Whitney, wrote about his experiences with Winnie and Hannah. Petting Hannah Therapy Dogs By Nate Whitney My experience with…
Nor’wester’s public library liaison & coordinator, Lynn Lenz, worked with librarians Sarah Ravapinto and Christy Lazzarino to offer a six week vacation program of READ TO THE DOGS at the Richboro public library. The program started on June 27th and ran weekly on Thursdays through August 8th. Therapy dogs were provided by the Nor’wester organization…
“I truly do not think there is enough time in my lifetime to fully express how much Kerrigan and Cathy Guenzel have made a difference in my classroom this year. As I type this, I am preparing the room for our “Last Day with Kerrigan” celebration. For our celebration, each student will be receiving a…
By Heather Wade, Holland Elementary, Council Rock School District Therapy dog Jingles, owned and handled by Joyce McGettigan, went right to the head of the classroom when he entered. We think he knew it was the best way to see all the kids at once. He pretty much pushed the teacher out of the way…
Nor’wester Therapy Dogs receives donations through the Amazon Smile program, which donates 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products. Just by shopping at smile.amazon.com, you can donate to us! On your first visit to AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), you are prompted to select a charitable organization from our list of eligible organizations. You can change your…
One of the most frequent questions we get is from owners who want to know how they can get their dog certified to work as a registered therapy dog. We have learned over the years that the most important thing is a well socialized dog. Proper socialization creates a relaxed, confident, well-adjusted, and happy canine,…
By Carol VanSant One therapy dog job that almost everyone is familiar with is to help people manage grief. It doesn’t matter whether it is a large tragedy or an individual personal loss, therapy dogs help alleviate the pain. If you have done any reading about the benefits of therapy dogs, you may know that…
Carla Foy grew up in Bethlehem, PA. Her father was an airline pilot, and her mother owns a used/rare bookstore called The Old Library Bookshop. She has always loved children and teaching, and she was encouraged by her grandmother to pursue education as a career. Before coming to Council Rock, she taught in a Catholic…
We often encounter students who have anxiety and fear when around dogs. It seems that our therapy dogs are then thrust into the role of helping students overcome these issues. The gentle and calm demeanor of a therapy dog is the first step in working with these students. It’s heartwarming to see our therapy dogs…
SOME GREAT DOG-THEMED BOOKS FOR STUDENTS It’s summertime and a great time to catch up on pleasure reading. Our therapy dogs recommended some wonderful dog stories and encourage you to visit your local public library! The Nor’wester therapy dogs will be visiting the Free Library at Northampton Township in Richboro on Thursdays now through August…