A trained therapy dog is a proven strategy for supporting children with mental health and anxiety worries, grief and loss, and for reading. We were able to secure a Golden Retriever puppy. The first time we introduced Buddy to the school was in an assembly in October and it was absolutely priceless. Buddy, despite still being very young, seems to have an innate ability to sense the mood of a situation. He is very calm when children (or adults) are distressed or sad and is a great comfort to them. We have seen children who will never choose to read to an adult, happily sit and read to Buddy whilst they gently stroke him. He adores being outside at break, lunchtimes and during PE and he is making the children run a lot more than they ever have before! Buddy has turned out to be a great incentive to getting children in school every day and on time.
