Cascades Academy Director of Counseling, Leah Rapaport, attended the Trauma Informed School Conference in Denver last month, where a team of volunteer emotional support dogs were available to connect with. Leah has been excited about the opportunity to bring emotional support to CACO. That’s where Hobie comes in. Hobie the comfort dog visited Cascades Academy for the first time on November 21st and again on December 3rd.
There are many benefits to interaction with emotional support dogs including the release of oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine into the brain, which are all responsible for “happiness”. Should a student ever experience an emotional emergency, Hobie lives just 2 miles down the road and is happy to pay a visit. Hobie works with Partners in Care and Compassionate Canines of Central Oregon.
We will be meeting another partner dog at the end of the week. He is a golden retriever named Ole. Our hope is that Ole will become a regular monthly visitor…an appointment we can all look forward to in our schedules!
Compassionate Canines of Central Oregon 