4 Pawz Strong is proud to be one of the Michigan nonprofit organizations selected to participate in LaFontaine Automotive Group’s 2026 Holiday Giving campaign. Through this community fundraising initiative, participating nonprofits have an opportunity to receive up to $20,000 to support their missions. We’re asking our supporters, friends, and community
When Clinton Community Schools experienced a tragedy in September 2021, therapy dogs from Brighton Area Schools visited the district to offer comfort to students and staff. Those visits inspired Clinton High School counselor Heidi Kutzley to explore establishing a permanent therapy dog program for the school. Working with Karen Storey
At Oxford High School in Michigan, a black Labrador Retriever named Bean has become a beloved part of the school community. As a member of the Oxford Wildcat Pack therapy dog program, Bean spends her days with students and her handler, educator Dana Brewer. Dana shared her experience with Bean
Following the September 4, 2024 shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, the school community faced the difficult process of returning to classrooms and rebuilding a sense of normalcy. Alongside counselors and other support services, therapy dogs became part of the effort to provide comfort to students, teachers, and
In 2022, Menlo Park City School District in California partnered with 4 Pawz Strong to bring trained therapy dogs into schools throughout the district. Building on an existing school therapy dog pilot program, the district wanted to make the companionship and support of therapy dogs available to more students and
In 2022, Birmingham Public Schools continued expanding a therapy dog program designed to provide emotional support and companionship to students and staff. Through a partnership with the Birmingham Rotary Club and 4 Pawz Strong, the district worked toward introducing therapy dogs into its middle schools and eventually expanding the program
Following the tragic shooting at Oxford High School on November 30, 2021, students, staff, and families faced a difficult path toward recovery. As the district began welcoming students back, therapy dogs from Brighton Area Schools visited Oxford to offer comfort and companionship during an especially challenging time. Those early visits,
In September 2021, Clinton Community Schools in Lenawee County, Michigan, experienced a devastating tragedy when two high school seniors lost their lives and two others were seriously injured in a car accident. As students and staff struggled with the loss, therapy dogs from Brighton Area Schools visited the district to
In March 2020, Abbot Elementary School in Ann Arbor welcomed Star, a Bernedoodle who became the first full-time therapy dog in Ann Arbor Public Schools. Her arrival was an important step in bringing the benefits of school therapy dog programs to more Michigan students. Inspired by Brighton’s Therapy Dog Program