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, Pricewaterhouse-Coopers Advisory LLC

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
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.