Recipients and Resources

The Bacon family knows firsthand how valuable therapy dogs can be to a school community, especially in the aftermath of trauma.  Because of our experiences, the Charlotte Helen Bacon Foundation is committed to helping schools launch new therapy dog/comfort dog programs for their students through the Charlotte’s Litter Grant program.

This program is designed specifically to help individual schools or communities with vulnerable youth populations (broadly defined to include communities with low socioeconomics, high rates of violence and/or student populations with behavioral or mental health challenges, special needs, or healing after a traumatic event, etc.).

We are honored to fund this work along many other philanthropic organizations nationwide.  Please note: Other foundations/organizations supporting this kind of work financially or programmatically are not eligible to receive funds through a Charlotte’s Litter grant beginning in 2021.

Charlotte’s Litter Grant Recipients:

Charlotte’s Litter is excited to contribute to ongoing therapy/comfort dog programs and new initiatives. There is wonderful work being done in the therapy dog field, and with the support of the Charlotte’s Litter Grant Program, this resource is being brought to students in K-12 schools. Thus far, Charlotte’s Litter has granted over $50,000 to the following list of programs and initiatives for the schools and students they serve:

2022 Recipients

  • Andrews Elementary.  Serving students in Three Rivers, MI.
  • Archbishop Moeller High School. Serving students in Cincinnati, OH
  • Dickson Elementary School. Serving students in Dickson, TN
  • Eleanor N. Johnson Middle School. Serving students in Walpole, MA
  • North St. Francois County Intermediate School.  Serving students in Francois, MO
  • Promesa Charter School.  Serving students in San Antonio, TX
  • Public Schools of Petoskey.  Serving students in Petoskey, MI
  • Three Rivers High School. Serving students in St. Joseph’s, MI
  • Valentine Community School, Valentine, NE

2021 Recipients

  • Asheville Christian Academy serving students in Swannanoa, NC.
  • Boys Help, Girls Help of St. Louis, MO.
  • Calais School.  Serving students in Whippany, NJ.
  • Auburn Elementary School.  Serving students in Auburn Hills, MI.
  • Thomas Dale High School.  Serving students in Chester, VA.

2020 Recipients

  • Lewis Cass Jr. High School. Serving Students in Walton, IN
  • Lac du Flambeau School. Serving students in Lac du Flambeau, WI
  • Redwood Cooperative School. Serving students in Lexington, KY
  • Note: Grant cycles in 2020 were paused after February 2020 due to COVID-19.

2019 Recipients

  • Thomas Jefferson High School. Serving students in Council Bluffs, IA
  • Licking Valley Primary School. Serving students in Newark, OH
  • Granville Humane Society. Serving students in Raleigh, NC
  • Cardinal Elementary School. Serving students in Maquoketa, WI
  • Anne Watson Elementary School. Serving students in Bigelow, AR
  • Sparta School District. Serving students in Sparta, WI
  • Therapy Animals of Utah. Serving students in Provo, UT
  • Leavitt Middle School. Serving Students in Las Vegas, NV
  • Soul Friends Therapy Dogs. Serving students in Meriden, CT
  • Maltby Intermediate School. Serving students in Brighton, MI
  • Rock Springs Elementary. Serving students in Denver, NC
  • Lubbock Cooper Elementary. Serving students in Lubbock, TX
  • Dove Lewis Animal Hospital. Serving students in Portland, OR
  • Lucyle Collins Middle School. Serving students in Fort Worth, TX
  • Catherine’s School. Serving students in Tulsa, OK
  • Peacock Foundation. Serving students in Los Angeles, CA
  • Fulks Run Elementary School. Serving students in Fulks Run, VA
  • Lincoln Elementary School. Serving students in Findley, OH

2018 Recipients

  • Beaumont Middle School. Serving students in Lexington, KY
  • Renaissance Charter School of the Arts. Serving students in Rochester, NY
  • Gabriel’s Angels. Serving students in Phoenix, AZ
  • Stephen T. Badin High School. Serving students in Hamilton, OH
  • Project 2 Heal. Serving students in Waxhaw County, NC
  • A Fair Shake 4 Youth. Serving students in New York City
  • Discovery Charter School. Serving students in Las Vegas, NV

2017 Recipients

  • The Ana Grace Project. Serving New Britain Public Schools (CT)
  • Comfort Dog Addie and Leah. Serving Danbury, CT Elementary Schools.
  • Comfort Dog Dora. Serving Milwaukee Lutheran High School, Mount Calvary Lutheran School, St. Martini Lutheran School, St. Marcus Lutheran School, and two public elementary schools in Milwaukee.
  • Intermountain Therapy Animals (ITA). Serving students nationwide.

In addition to funding ITA on a national level, Charlotte’s Litter is funding the following state chapters:

  • R.E.A.D Connecticut. Therapy dog teams serving students in CT.
  • R.E.A.D Minnesota. Therapy dog teams serving students in MN.
  • R.E.A.D New York. Therapy dog teams serving students in NY.
  • Pet Partners. Serving students nationwide.

**In addition to the grant money, Charlotte’s Litter has also donated over 2,000 copies of the books Good Dogs, Great Listeners and The Dogs of Newtown to schools and their students nationwide.

Educator Resources

There are numerous benefits to introducing a therapy dog program into your school. Discover the many ins and outs of employing a therapy dog program, including addressing the most common objections and challenges, steps for successful implementation, and resources for developing programs.

The New School of Therapy

Have you considered a therapy dog program in your school? Increasingly, school educators across the country are realizing the benefits of therapy dogs in the school environment. Yes, there are questions and challenges to adopting a dog therapy program, but the below PDF seeks to address those issues, and outline a step by step process to implementing a program that can bring a valuable resource to your school.

A Guide to Therapy Dogs

The purpose of the below PDF is to help school administrators and educators better understand the benefits of animal assisted therapy in a school setting. In addition, it addresses the common objections or concerns for placing therapy dogs in a school. It also outlines helpful steps in implementing a program, and suggests resources for developing programs for educators, counselors, and others to easily integrate dogs into their respective areas.

Bringing Therapy Dogs to your School PDF

More information about Therapy Dogs geared specifically towards Educators and Administrators. 

Download PDF