Meet LOLHS' New Team Member: KONA!

We are excited to share that Kona, a trained and certified therapy dog, will soon be joining the LOLHS faculty. Kona has been trained through The Perfect Pup LLC, Deep River CT Therapy Dog Program, as well as, the Canine Good Citizen Program. He is certified through the Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dogs, Inc. and has been evaluated and is a member of Project Paws, The Time Buckley Project.
Kona, is a two year old a Cream Retriever, who will provide comfort and support to students and staff who may be feeling anxious, stressed, or depressed, as well as, helping to develop skills to address trauma, compassion, empathy, self-esteem and/or motivation. Kona offers non-judgmental support and unconditional love
Kona will working in the counseling office, life skills classes and be supportive during high stress times, such as testing and exams. Students will be instructed on proper procedures and appropriate interaction with Kona. He will be available at the request by faculty or staff and will only be placed in situations where students voluntarily participate to avoid unwanted contact.
If your child has a dog allergy, and you have not notified us previously of this allergy, please contact Melissa Seckla, School Nurse (860-434-7238 ext. 1004) so we can be sure to keep everyone safe while Kona is in the building.
Project Paws, The Tim Buckley Project supported Kona’s training and his tenure as the Region 18 Therapy Dog. To learn more about Project Paws, please visit their website at https://timbuckleyproject.org/. If you have any questions or concerns regarding Kona, please feel free to reach out to us at any time.
Sincerely,
Hildie Heck