Our mission is to teach them how.
Specifically, we train and certify…
- Volunteers – who want to team up with their dog to help people in need at hospitals, schools, nursing homes, and other facilities.
- Professionals – health workers, educators and others who want to work with their dog to enhance a professional practice.
National Leadership
We respect and celebrate the healing power of the Human-Animal Bond.
- We specialize in hands-on, in-class training for dog-human teams, supporting team progress as you learn.
- We are advised by experts in immunology, infectious disease, psychology, veterinary medicine, and Animal Assisted Intervention.
- We conduct research with major hospitals / universities to advance therapy dog uses and outcomes.
Training Options
Volunteer Certification
Classes for you and your dog to learn, alongside others, to safely help adults and children in need. (4 weekly 90-minute classes)
Find out more.
Crisis Response Certification
Once certified, select volunteers and dogs can learn to assist in national disasters. (Weekend training)
Find out more.
Professional Certification
Educators, therapists, etc. learn to work with their dog in professional practice. NYC Dept. of Education is a client. (3 weekly 2-hour classes)
Find out more.
Become a Good Dog Trainer
Working with The Good Dog Foundation is a great opportunity for R+ trainers looking to grow their revenue, while doing something very rewarding and enjoyable in the process.
Find out more.
Insurance — Good Dog Certified Volunteers are covered by free liability insurance when donating time to our partner facilities. Certified Professionals have their own insurance as part of their practice.
We welcome an application from you and your dog.
Covid-19 Update
All Good Dog Volunteers must:
- Comply with the health requirements of the facilities they plan to visit, including vaccinations and boosters, masks, hand sanitizer, and other health-related policies
- Follow CDC guidelines – before visiting Good Dog partner facilities or one of our in-person classes – when you are exposed to or contract COVID-19 or other infectious diseases
Note: Good Dog meets with hospital executives and experts in immunology / infectious disease to stay informed about health-related issues. We may occasionally pause in-person therapy dog visits and classes if a health crisis flares up and we deem it appropriate to protect our volunteers, trainers and those they serve.
Who We Help
Facility Partners
The organizations (below) can apply to be a partner facility entitled to free visits from our Therapy Dog Volunteers. The visits help adults and children recover from stress, trauma and disease or cope with disabilities and learning issues.
- Hospitals, Hospices
- Public Schools, Colleges
- Nursing Homes, Senior Residences
- Libraries, Community Centers
To apply, click here.
Corporate Partners
We offer therapy dog services for a fee to business, government and other private entities.
- Workplace Wellness & Productivity – Visits for employee stress-relief, morale-boosting, and events. See our Workplace Wellness & Productivity brochure.
- Sponsorship – Opportunities include Good Dog’s Gala, website ads, and visits to people in need.
For a quote, contact
info@thegooddogfoundation.org
Recent Corporate Partnerships
Communities in Crisis
Our Research
Good Dog conducts vital research to assess therapy dog intervention with specific populations and environments.
Supporting Cancer Patients in Treatment
Teaching Prisoners Parenting Skills
Helping Children Recover from Stress
National Survey of Therapy Dog Training
Help Us
Some 30,000 hours a year are donated by Good Dog Volunteers helping people heal. Over 100,000 people benefit annually.
Staff & Consultants
Rachel McPherson
Founding President – Chief Science Officer
Bruce Fagin
Executive Director – Chief Advancement Officer
Tia Biasi
VP for Business Development
Sima Matthes
VP Communications & Giving
Renee Payne
Director of Training
Carly Goteiner
Director of Community Engagement
Sarah Ruminski
Onboarding Operations Coordinator
Pei Sun
Finance Manager
Sam Kelly
Marketing & Communications Associate
Ellis Hoffmeister
Programs Coordinator
Stetson Gleave
Photography and Videography Consultant
Stuart Gaston
Database Optimization Consultant
Tara Johnson
Online Marketing and Social Media Consultant
Heidi Antman
Graphic Design Consultant
Board of Directors
Robert Reder
Chair
Retired Partner, Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP; Professor of Law, Vanderbilt Law School
Patrick W. McMullan lll
Vice Chair
Managing Director and Chairman of Global Healthcare Investment Banking, Barclays Capital
Rachel McPherson
Bruce Fagin
Executive Director – Chief Advancement Officer
Abby Rudzin
Partner,
Securities Litigation
Practice Group
O’Melveny & Myers LLP
Adam Wexler
SVP, Origination
Jefferies Group
Alex Stromberg
Managing Director in Credit Trading, Barclays Capital
Andy Honda
Senior Vice President, Medical Director, Publicis Groupe
Camela Morrissey
Principal and Founder, Amerge
Carl Comstock
Vice President,
Special Situations
& Restructuring
Intrepid Investment Bankers
Christina de Marval
Principal, Huntting, LLC
Samantha Greenberg
Senior Manager, Strategy, Veterinary Emergency Group
Ellen Leikind
Creator, PokerDivas
Patrick Gordon
Principal, Technology, Information, Communication, Entertainment/Media, PwC
Nick DellaVecchia
Research Analyst
US Long/Short, Point72
Jaime Bell
Vice President and
Deputy General Counsel
Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Roni E. Cowan
Real Estate Sales, Fox Residential
Liz Kallenberg
Associate, Private Wealth Solutions, The Blackstone Group
Lori Shapiro
Partner, Barker Patterson Nichols, LLP; and President, The Association for Healthcare Risk Management of NY
Remy Blaire
Business News Journalist & Contributor;
Adjunct Professor Fordham University
Tayler Fox
AVP, Product Development
Global X ETFs
Tao Bu Kinsey
Managing Director, Investor Relations & Business Development, The Blackstone Group, Blackstone Credit (BXC)
Melissa Roper Barnett
Media Executive; former EVP/General Counsel
Warner Bros. Discovery International
Michele Krieger
Nick DellaVecchia
Research Analyst
US Long/Short, Point72
Corporate Partnership Council
Lynn Chin
Global Client Partner, Financial Products and Transactions, PwC
Rebecca Gerson
Change Management Consultant, New Jersey Resources
Connor Meehan
Therapeutics Research Analyst, Redmile Group
Merav (May) Pepere
Scientific Advisors
Bradley W. Brockmann– J.D., M.Div. – Assistant Professor of the Practice, Health Services, Policy and Practice, Brown University; Member, Center for Health Promotion and Health Equity
Dr. James Fagin– Featured Covid-19 Panelist, WAMC Public Radio; Former Chief of General Pediatrics at North Shore Univ. Hospital; Fellow, American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology; Fellow, American Academy of Pediatrics.
Dr. Stewart Fleishman– Hospice and Palliative Medicine Specialist, Coachella Valley Volunteers in Medicine; Founding Director, Cancer Supportive Services, Continuum Cancer Centers of New York; Accreditation Surveyor, American College of Surgeons, Commission on Cancer.
Dr. James Griffin– National Institutes of Health (NIH) Deputy Chief of the Child Development and Behavior Branch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH; Director of the Early Learning and School Readiness Program.
Dr. Alexandra Horowitz– Columbia University Author of #1 New York Times bestseller Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know. She teaches psychology, canine cognition, and creative nonfiction writing at Barnard College, where she runs the Dog Cognition Lab.
Dr. Cheryl Krause-Parello– Interim Associate Dean for Research and Schmidt Distinguished Professor, Faculty Fellow, Florida Atlantic University; Director, Canines Providing Assistance to Wounded Warriors (C-P.A.W.W.); Former President, International International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ).
Dr. Deborah Lawrence– Fordham University Supervising Psychologist and Group Therapy Program Coordinator, Rose Hill Campus, Fordham University; PhD in psychology and re- specialization in clinical Psychology, Columbia University.
Dr. James Serpell– University of Pennsylvania ISAZ Board Director; Professor of Ethics & Animal Welfare and Director, Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine.
