Mesa Public Schools is proud to participate in the Pawsitive Peers Foundation school therapy dog program. The district has partnered with Arizona Humane Society, Arizona Animal Welfare League, and Maricopa County Animal Care and Control to identify compatible shelter dogs for school staff to adopt and have trained to become certified therapy dogs. Participating MPS staff and their dogs, also known as paw partners, pass obedience and therapy classes and are tested and approved using a nationally recognized therapy team evaluation.
Pawsitive Peers seeks to meet the social and emotional needs of Mesa Public Schools students and staff. These dogs serve as a trusted companion in classrooms, and counseling, nurse, or administrative offices for crisis intervention, behavioral de-escalation, or simply to address stress, anxiety and/or isolation.
Participating schools
Elementary: Adams, Crismon, Edison, Eisenhower, Highland, Johnson,Red Mountain Center for Early Education preschool, Porter, Madison, Robson, Roosevelt, Taft, Whitman, Whittier
Junior high: Carson, Fremont, Kino, Rhodes, Taylor
High school: Dobson, East Valley Academy, Mountain View, Red Mountain, Westwood
We're in good company!
Though we have one of the largest school therapy dog programs in the nation, we're not alone. We are in good company with the following organizations who also use therapy dogs to support their mission:
- Phoenix Children's Hospital
- Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport
- Hospice of the Valley
- Mercy Gilbert Medical Center
- Phoenix Police Department
- Banner Health
Meet the dogs at Dobson High School
Pawsitive Peers in the news
12 News: "Pawsitive Peers program in Mesa Public Schools improves students' mental health"
East Valley Tribune: "Dogs bringing stress relief to Mesa students"
Arizona Republic: "There's a mental health crisis in schools. Mesa hopes therapy dogs will help"
Chicago Tribune: "Arizona schools use therapy dogs to assist mental health"