Suncoast Christian College introduces therapy dog

NewsCommunity

8 Jun

**Who’s a good boy? ... Suncoast Christian College VETiS Coordinator Leanne Abrahams with Jasper the therapy dog who will support the health and wellbeing of students.**

‘Just seeing his smiling face gives a boost to your day’

Suncoast Christian College is delighted to introduce therapy dog Jasper, a gentle one-year-old brown and white Border Collie.

Jasper started work at the College last week after many months of training and preparation. The Therapy Dog Program supports the health and well-being of students in the Suncoast community. Similar programs are in place in many schools.

Suncoast Christian College VETiS Coordinator Leanne Abrahams completed specialised training with Jasper so that together they have become a certified human-canine therapy team.

Mrs Abrahams said Jasper would support student engagement, assist with social skill development, and aid with self-regulation and calming through individual interventions, small group and class interventions, and visits at various College events.

All students and staff can choose to interact with Jasper if they feel comfortable. He will be closely monitored and managed using verbal commands, leads, and a collar to control his behaviour.

Research shows the positive impact animals have on our health and well-being. Through the development of the human-animal bond (HAB), we can experience reductions in blood pressure, increased oxytocin levels (associated with love and bonding), a decrease in cortisol levels (stress hormone), among many other beneficial physiological and emotional responses. Since animals are non-judgmental and provide unconditional love, they can assist in increasing the engagement between teacher and student and help as an intrinsic motivator to support participation.

In preparation for this placement, Mrs Abrahams and Jasper have completed an intensive course through Therapy Dogs Australia. Throughout his training, Jasper has demonstrated a high level of obedience and good behaviour, making him suitable to work with children within a school environment.

“We are really excited to have Jasper on the team,” said Principal Greg Mattiske.

“This is a wonderful initiative that will bring many benefits to our students in terms of their general well-being over time. Just seeing his smiling puppy face gives a boost to your day. I am not sure who is more excited, the staff or the students!”