Pups Uplifting People
Pups Uplifting People is an ECSD animal-assisted intervention therapy dog program. The first program of its nature in the Lowcountry. If you have any questions you'd like to ask or are wanting to learn more about the P.U.P. Program, email Kate Keith at kkeith@effingham.k12.ga.us. We are happy to help!!
Meet the Pups
- Piper, English Springer Spaniel Border Collie Mix also know as a "Sprollie"
- Junie, Golden Retriever
- Bowie, Dachshund
- Zoey, Blue Heeler
- Millie, Labrador
Meet the Handlers
- Kate Keith, Piper
- Stacey Reid, Junie
- Traci Whitaker, Bowie
- Kim Fulcher, Millie
- Beth Vance, Zoey
Owning a Therapy Dog
Who can have a therapy dog?
ECSD School Counselors, School Social Workers, and School Psychologists were offered the opportunity to become handlers for the therapy dog program as it is a natural extension of their professions. The pup is an additional resource to make their job more effective. The pup’s job will differ depending on its handler. Being a handler is an additional responsibility and adds more to the day-to-day job expectations.
How much does the district spend on the P.U.P. Program?
None. No taxpayer dollars are used to pay for this program.
The handlers (owner) pay for all expenses, including:
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personal handler insurance
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food
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veterinary care
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professional grooming
Ideas for Partnership
The program offers a variety of activities and services designed to support students' physical, social, and emotional development. This includes partnerships with therapists to address specific learning goals, support for students in crisis or with traumatic experiences, and assistance for children with special needs. The program also incorporates literacy activities, such as reading to therapy dogs and engaging in research projects. Additionally, the program offers various community events and outreach initiatives, including volunteering at local organizations and providing comfort and support to students and faculty.
What kind of training do they receive?
The ECSD Pup teams are professionally trained through SD Gunner Fund. They train once a week at night or on a weekend at various locations. SD Gunner contracts our training out to Fins Animal Training in Savannah and Down & Dirty Dog Training in Rincon. Both trainers are skilled, understand our work, and are generally talented and kind people. The dogs must pass 5 formal assessments before being allowed to work with students: Temperament Testing, AKC Canine Good Citizen, AKC Community Canine, AKC Urban Canine, and Pet Partners Therapy Dog.
What do you do about people with allergies and fears in your classroom?
The Pups only visit when and where invited and respect everyone, especially those with fears or allergies. The pups' mission is to calm and help.
In the case of allergies, we can do several things:
- Keep our distance
- Meet in a different location, so as not to contaminate the classroom
- Individuals with allergies can respond negatively to the dog’s saliva, dander, and hair. We take allergies seriously.