Canines For Disabled Kids

Bruin, a Service Dog for the Classroom or Therapy, has been at our program UMASS Transitions IRTP (Intensive Residential Treatment Program) for over a year. Our program currently services 15 adolescents who require long-term mental health treatment in a locked, secure setting. Bruin enables kids to feel less lonely and depressed by being a warm body that they can hug. Most of our kids have been exposed to adults who have violated their trust and their boundaries. As a result, these kids have a very difficult time trusting others. Bruin allows kids to break down their walls, feel safe and benefit from endless amounts of love and doggie kisses. Our teens often talk to Bruin often about things that might be difficult to share with an adult and he’s an outlet for the release of their difficult feelings. Bruin is great because he does not judge, criticize and is non-threatening. Kids take part in his care and contribute to their learning how to be a caring and responsible person. I can’t recommend enough how valuable a Service Dog for Classroom/Therapy is to us and our program. Hopefully, the use of Service Dogs will become more prominent in classrooms and therapeutic settings to facilitate the growth of the children we work with each day.

Sincerely,

Kimberly Kopp
Rehabilitation Assistant
UMASS Transitions