ARKANSAS THERAPY DOGS FOR EDUCATION
A therapy dog
for every public
school in Arkansas.
When silence speaks louder than words. Our goal is to place 236 trained therapy dogs in Arkansas schools by 2029 — bringing comfort, connection, and hope to classrooms that need it most.
Made possible by First Community Bank — a founding investment in the future of Arkansas children.
WHY ARKANSAS, WHY NOW
The need is urgent. The solution is ready.
Arkansas schools are facing rising rates of anxiety, behavioral challenges, and academic disengagement. One gentle, four-legged solution is quietly making a powerful difference.
Our therapy dogs become trusted friends to children navigating trauma, reading anxiety, special needs, or the everyday stressors of growing up. With each tail wag, they help students feel seen, safe, and supported.
Rural isolation
Over 60% of Arkansas school districts are classified as rural, where access to mental health counselors and support services is limited.
Post-pandemic strain
Arkansas educators report sharp increases in student anxiety, behavioral challenges, and emotional dysregulation since 2020.
Teacher burnout
Therapy dogs provide consistent, reliable emotional support that complements — and lightens — the load our educators carry every day.
Reading crisis
Arkansas ranks among the lowest in the nation for literacy. Therapy dogs help reluctant readers gain confidence in a judgment-free zone.
PROOF OF CONCEPT · BEAR
“He makes my day 100% better.“
Bear is the on-campus therapy dog at Melbourne High School in Melbourne, Arkansas. He works the hallways, the classrooms, and the counselor’s office — and he’s at every Bearkatz game in his #89 jersey.
“I have witnessed Bear bringing joy to many of my classmates… that seemingly small moment brought them laughter and happiness.”
STUDENT · MELBOURNE, ARKANSAS
HOW IT WORKS
From classroom request to classroom champion.
Every placement is a partnership. Here’s the path — from the moment a school reaches out to the day a dog is on the floor changing the room.
School identifies the need
A teacher, counselor, principal, or community advocate sees the difference a therapy dog could make. They reach out — or you nominate the school for them.
Partnership agreement
We meet with school leadership to confirm readiness, identify a primary handler, and align on integration: which classrooms, which schedule, which students benefit first.
Dog selection & training
A pedigree White English Labrador or English Cream Golden Retriever — already a Wagology Doctorate graduate — is matched to the school’s context. Specialized therapy training continues for the school environment.
Handler training
The school’s designated handler completes hands-on integration training at our Batesville facility — or, for Arkansas schools, we bring the training directly to the campus. Either way, the handler leaves knowing how to read their dog and run the program day-to-day.
Placement & lifetime support
The dog joins the school. We stay involved for the dog’s full 8–10 year working life — regular check-ins, refresher training, and any course corrections needed.
THE RESEARCH
Therapy dogs in schools boost learning, confidence, and emotional well-being.
Decades of peer-reviewed research from Tufts, the National Institutes of Health, and universities worldwide consistently show measurable benefits when therapy dogs are integrated into school settings.
Emotional & behavioral
Reduced classroom anxiety, fewer behavioral incidents, measurably lower stress levels when reading with a therapy dog present.
Social development
Therapy dogs strengthen friendships, empathy, and social skills — especially for children with autism, anxiety, or trauma.
REAL LIVES, REAL IMPACT
Voices from the schools and families we serve.
I have witnessed Bear bringing joy to many of my classmates. Just yesterday, Bear came into my first hour class where he received belly rubs from a few of my classmates and I noticed not only how happy it made him, but also how much laughter and happiness that seemingly small moment brought them.
Student
MELBOURNE, ARKANSAS
Timber has become a beloved part of our school community. Stationed by the main doors, she greets students and staff each day with calm affection and wagging enthusiasm. In just over a year, Timber has become known and loved by nearly everyone at Wausau East — bringing smiles, comfort, and a sense of warmth wherever she goes.
SRO Nick Stetzer #123 & K9 Timber
WAUSAU EAST SCHOOL, WISCONSIN
We often are treating kids who have been poked and prodded by doctors in medical appointments and they are often reluctant to come to therapy. Chili helps calm our kids’ nerves and fills the room with comfort and inspires them to stay engaged and motivated during their OT, PT, and speech sessions.
Alex Vericker
ZION THERAPY SERVICES, ARKANSAS
WHY YOUR GIFT GOES FARTHER
The average therapy-dog placement costs $20–30K to fund.
Ours come in around $10K.
We breed, raise, and train every dog on-site in Batesville — no outsourcing, no third-party training contracts, no compromise on quality. The savings stay in the program: more dogs placed, deeper support for each placement, and access for under-resourced rural districts that otherwise couldn’t sustain a therapy dog program.
Vertical integration
Breeding, training, and placement all happen in our facility.
Volunteer-powered
A robust community volunteer program extends our capacity.
Programmatic training
Systematic processes ensure efficiency and customization.
Economies of scale
Nearly 15 years of refining maximizes success, minimizes waste.
FOUNDING PARTNER · 2025
OUR FOUNDING PARTNER
First Community Bank made this program possible.
In 2025, First Community Bank stepped forward as the founding partner of Therapy Dogs for Arkansas — a multi-year commitment to put a trained therapy dog in every public school in the state by 2029.
FCB’s investment funds breeding, training, placement, and lifetime support — and ensures access for the rural districts that need it most. They were the first to believe. We’re building this with them, one classroom at a time.
“Arkansas’s children deserve the same quality of support whether they’re in Batesville, Little Rock, or Marshall. Therapy dogs in schools level that playing field — and we’re proud to make it happen.”
— First Community Bank leadership
FCB believed first. If your organization would like to join them in shaping this future for Arkansas children, we’d love to start a conversation.
FOR DONORS · SPONSORS · PARTNERS
Sponsor a placement.
From individual gifts to regional and statewide naming partnerships. Every level helps put paws in classrooms and hope in hearts.
FOR EDUCATORS · PARENTS · ADVOCATES
Nominate a school.
Know a school that would benefit from a therapy dog? Teachers, parents, administrators, and community members can all submit nominations.
NOMINATE A SCHOOL
Tell us about a school that needs a therapy dog.
Anyone can submit a nomination — teachers, counselors, parents, administrators, board members, or community advocates. The more we know, the better we can match the right dog to the right campus.
Nominating doesn’t commit the school to anything — it starts the conversation. Questions? Contact us first.
SCHOOL NOMINATION FORM
Tell us about the school.
By submitting, you agree to be contacted about this nomination. We’ll never share your information.