Meet Legacy! She has joined Sacred Heart and is a working therapy dog. As a therapy dog, Legacy provides love and support to students of all ages. This video will help everyone learn more about Legacy’s role at SH.
Benefits of therapy dogs within a school:
- Physical interaction with a therapy dog reduces blood pressure, provides stimulation and can assist with pain management.
- There are social benefits by her just visiting, there is greater self-esteem, and focus interaction with students and teachers.
- Cognitive benefits have been empirically proven that therapy dogs stimulate memory and problem-solving skills.
- Emotional and Mental health benefits to having a therapy dog present in a school.
- A national survey of adolescent mental health found that about 8 to 10 percent of teens between the ages 13 to 18 have an anxiety disorder. A therapy dog can lift moods in classrooms by just introducing laughter.
Facts about Legacy:
- Eight years old
- Special diet and cannot eat any food from the students
- Her owner is Nicole Stratton
- Previously worked with La Monte R-IV students
Training:
- Legacy was trained at a care program
- Legacy is here to help students feel more comfortable and reduce their anxiety
- Legacy knows and has been trained to sense when a student is having trouble or is upset
Written and Video created by Sacred Heart Class of 2020 Junior Martha Angel
