As you may well know, we already have one Pets As Therapy dog, Baxter, and Julie his handler, who regularly visits school.
Our children, and staff, really enjoy spending time with him, getting to learn about how to care for him, stroking, feeding and taking him for a walk.
We contacted PAT to ask whether there was another volunteer handler who would like to bring their dog into school, and this week we were delighted to meet Harley, with her handler Graham, for the first time.
Graham and Harley visited today and had a look around school, met some of the staff and children, and spoke with Julie about the things they can do with children - such as visiting classes, sharing a book in the library or joining children in a MOVE session.
We were thrilled to have them in school and everyone gave them a big welcome. AS you can see in the photos, both Harley and the children really enjoyed each other’s company.
Graham has been a volunteer with PAT since 2018 – has had many placements in care homes and hospices. Graham and Harley passed their assessment with PAT when they began. The assessments make sure the dogs are well behaved, calm, friendly and that the owners have complete control over them at all times.
We can’t wait to have Harley back in school again soon!
