T-Shirt Design Artist Shalini Gossain Shalini Gossain learned about AIR during her sophomore year in high school during a Leadership and Philanthropy class. Her group chose to focus on mental health for a project because of the personal connec-tion: a friend of Shalini’s had died by suicide, which led to her interest in learning more…
This is a special series highlighting a new partnership with the Hopwell Valley Regional School District and the AIR Dog’s School Therapy Dog program with the goal of teaching and certifying HVRSD staff dogs to become certified AIR Therapy Dogs. AIR offers a full comprehensive program that not only teaches and certifies each individual handler/dog,…
This is a special series highlighting a new partnership with the Hopwell Valley Regional School District and the AIR Dog’s School Therapy Dog program with the goal of teaching and certifying HVRSD staff dogs to become certified AIR Therapy Dogs. AIR offers a full comprehensive program that not only teaches and certifies each individual handler/dog,…
This is a special series highlighting a new partnership with the Hopwell Valley School District and each recently certified AIR Therapy Dog team from the district. To learn more about this initiative, please read here. Nicole Gianfredi was very excited about the new program to train dogs owned by Hopewell Valley staff, but wasn’t certain…
With Covid-19 restrictions, all of the in-person school presentations and therapy visits have been on hold for months. However, AIR Dogs: Paws for Minds therapy team Joy Lindo and her dog Willow have found a way to make a difference during these tough times. Joy, an attorney for a New Jersey agency, has been regularly…
Chelsea Ruchlin, LSW, and her dog, Nellie, are a unique among the AIR Dogs: Paws for Minds therapy teams because they work together. Chelsea, a social worker and case manager at the Melvin H. Kreps Middle School, works with special education students and since becoming certified with Nellie last fall, her canine partner has become…
Linda Hobson has owned five therapy dogs over the years and has been an AIR Dogs: Paws for Minds Therapy volunteer for Attitudes in Reverse since 2011. “I just enjoy seeing the young people let their guard down,” said Linda. “ You can watch their whole body language change. They just melt.” Linda first met…
Like most AIR volunteers, Audrey Kilbride met AIR Co-founder Tricia Baker during a dog training class and has been involved with AIR ever since. For the past eight years, Audrey has been creating AIR Dog patches on her embroidery machine and sewing them onto the AIR Dog vests. Tricia discovered Audrey’s talents when she embroidered…
AIR volunteers and AIR Dogs: Paws for Minds therapy dog teams are bringing In Their Shoes and AIR’s message around the Garden State for National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. As part of National Suicide Prevention Week (September 8-14), AIR brought In Their Shoes and therapy dog teams to Ocean County College and to the Suicide…
Yvonne Quinn had raised Packer from 7 weeks old to become a Seeing Eye dog. However, when he was sent back for his final training at 17 months old, Packer experienced gastrointestinal issues and could not complete his Seeing Eye education. After Yvonne took Packer back home, she decided pet therapy would be a great “career change,”…