Meet Our School Therapy Dogs: Alfie & Steve 🐾
We are proud to be a mainstream primary school with five dedicated classes for autistic children. As part of our ongoing commitment to inclusion and emotional well-being, we are thrilled to have not one—but two School Therapy Dogs: Alfie and Steve, provided through the incredible charity My Canine Companion – Autism and Therapy Service.
A Pawsitive Surprise!
Alfie joined our school family on Monday, September 20th, 2021—a huge surprise for all our boys! Since then, Alfie has become a much-loved member of the school community.
An even bigger surprise arrived in September 2023 when we welcomed Steve, our second therapy dog and puppy-in-training! Steve is part of the charity’s new Therapy Dogs in Schools programme, and we are honoured to be part of this initiative.
Alfie holds a special place in our hearts, as we believe he was the first therapy dog in a mainstream primary school in Cork. We feel truly privileged to be leading the way with this innovative and impactful programme.
Why Therapy Dogs?
The decision to bring therapy dogs into our school was made with careful consideration—especially in light of the social and emotional challenges children have faced following COVID-19 and extended school closures. We strongly believe that Alfie and Steve will have a ripple effect of positivity across all areas of school life:
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Enhancing social and emotional development
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Supporting anxiety management
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Improving behavioural outcomes
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Encouraging confidence and communication skills
This is a whole-school initiative with the potential to benefit over 200 families in our community. The possibilities are truly endless!
The Training Journey
Training for each dog, and for our staff team, takes place over two years, including:
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Regular puppy training classes
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Access to expert trainers via group chats
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Networking and support with other schools in the programme
We are fully committed to the process and excited to see the long-term benefits unfold.
The Proven Benefits of Therapy Dogs
Research and experience show that therapy dogs can:
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Lower blood pressure and stress levels
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Increase dopamine and serotonin levels
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Improve overall physical well-being
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Decrease anxiety
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Dramatically lift mood and emotional state
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Ease social isolation and support social skill development
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Help young readers build confidence
Follow Alfie & Steve Online
To share our journey and raise awareness, we launched dedicated social media pages for Alfie—and now Steve! These pages went live on Monday, September 21st, 2021, to coincide with Alfie's first day at school.
Follow their adventures here:
This journey all began over a simple cup of coffee in the staffroom—proof that great ideas can come from everyday moments! Thanks to the hard work of our School Dog Committee, we are now part of something truly special.
We can’t wait to see what lies ahead for Alfie, Steve, and our school community.
This adventure started for our school over 3 years ago, like with all good ideas, it started over a cup of coffee in the office! Our school dog committee have been working away behind the scenes every since and we cannot wait to start the next part of our journey!