Spotlight on Canine Comfort Crew
School is a better place for kids thanks to the Birmingham Canine Comfort Crew. They established a resident therapy dog program that provides support dogs throughout the school district. Each day, resident therapy dogs greet students upon arrival, accompany them as they leave, and provide valuable support that helps foster a successful learning environment.
Oakland Veterinary Referral Services is proud to partner with the BPS Canine Comfort Crew to support this vital organization in its mission to provide therapy dogs to all students and the learning community as a whole.
Canine Comfort Crew
Thanks to donations from the Rotary Club of Birmingham and DFCU Financial, the BPS Canine Comfort Crew was established in the fall of 2021. Initially, the program purchased three dogs for Berkshire Middle School, Derby Middle School, and BCS. Thanks to additional grants and donors, including Eagles for Children and Oakland County Mental Health, the Canine Comfort Crew now operates with thirteen therapy dogs. The Birmingham Education Foundation has also served as a generous donor to provide service vests for all of the Canine Comfort Crew. The dogs are a collection of labs and doodles who serve in elementary through high school, and their names are: Simba, Grover, Maple, Ernie, Luna, Shadow, Kona, Maverick, Jake, Riker, Lucky, Bo, and Murphy.
Therapy Dog Training
Canine Comfort Crew collaborates closely with 4Pawz Strong, a non-profit therapy dog organization based in Brighton, Michigan. Dogs must go through training and receive a certification to serve as a therapy dog in the schools. By the time the support dogs arrive in the hallways, they are ready and able to assist children during the school day.
How Therapy Dogs Help Kids
Therapy dogs are present in schools every day to provide support to children in various ways. Therapy dogs help build confidence in shy students. They also help develop social skills, making it easier for kids to interact with other students, faculty, and people they encounter outside of school. Some kids even get encouragement with academic challenges by spending time with the Canine Comfort Crew dogs. These dogs are truly a part of the Birmingham Public School community, and each day they promote a positive culture of good character and well-being.
Helping Therapy Dogs Help Kids
The Canine Comfort Crew is able to assist local children so successfully, thanks largely to generous donations from people in the community. While the district formally owns the support dogs, each dog has an assigned school staff member who serves as a primary handler. Almost all the funds used to meet the dogs’ needs throughout their lifetimes come from various fundraising efforts and generous donations. If you are interested in helping, use this QR code as a link to all of the dog’s eFund accounts as well as other district payments.
Community Coming Together
At OVRS, we partner with organizations that enhance our community. The BirminghamCanine Comfort Crew offers immeasurable help to local students. Call (248) 334-6877 to learn more about the work we do with the Canine Comfort Crew and how you can help.
