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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 or student populations with behavioral/mental health challenges, special needs, or healing after a traumatic event). We are honored to fund this work along with many other philanthropic organizations nationwide.

Please note: As of 2021, foundations/organizations supporting this kind of work financially or programmatically are not eligible to receive funds through a Charlotte’s Litter grant.

Charlotte’s Litter Awards Grant to Animal Assisted Interventions Program at The Calais School, 08.21.

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 $100,000 to the programs and initiatives for the schools and students they serve.

  • 2024 Grant Recipients

    • Ellis Elementary. Serving students in Plattsburg, MO.
    • Greenfield Central Community School. Serving students in Greenfield, IN.
    • Thomas Dale High School / Curtis Elementary School. Serving students in Chester, VA.
    • Vineland K-8. Serving students in Miami, FL.
    • Goldthwaite Elementary School. Serving students in Goldthwaite, TX.
    • Norborne School District. Serving students in Norborne, MO.
    • Platte City Middle School. Serving students in Platte City, MO.
    • Santa Fe Trail High School. Serving students in Scranton, KS.
    • Gaston Elementary. Serving students in Gaston, OR.
    • Dixon Elementary. Serving students in Dixon, MO.
    • Atkins Middle School. Serving students in Atkins, AR.
    • Hopedale Public Schools – Bright Beginnings. Serving students in Hopedale, MA
    • Westford Academy. Serving students in Westford, MA.

  • 2023 Grant Recipients

    • The Career and Technology Center at Ft. Osage. Serving students in Ft. Osage, KY.
    • Fall River Deaconess Home. Serving students in Fall River, MA.
    • Gastonia Freedom School. Serving students in Gastonia, NC.
    • Tunkhannock Area School District. Serving students in Tunkhannock, PA.
    • Manchester City Schools. Serving students in Manchester, TN.
    • Sam Placentino Elementary. Serving students in Holliston, MA.
    • Washington Elementary. Serving students in Washington, MI.
    • Drury High School. Serving students in North Adams, MA.

  • 2022 Grant 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 Grant 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 Grant 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 Grant 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 Grant 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 the grant money, Charlotte’s Litter has also donated over 4,000 copies of the books Good Dogs, Great Listeners and The Dogs of Newtown to schools and their students nationwide.

In addition to funding ITA on a national level, Charlotte’s Litter funded 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.

Charlotte’s Litter Therapy Dog Grants & StoryWalk®

Recipients of our Therapy Dog Grants frequently enjoy participating in our StoryWalk® program, a fun and creative way for kids—and adults—to enjoy reading and the outdoors at the same time. Charlotte’s Litter grant recipients will receive free books and an intro to the StoryWalk® program to help get it started.

Learn More

Thank you for supporting Thornton’s training. Our students have been more open to new opportunities and future successes with Thornton by their sides.

Susie Suits, Fort Osage School District, Independence MO Grant Recipient August 2023

Rozy has become quite the celebrity at Placentino School. She has been supporting many students in a variety of ways. We are so grateful for your generosity and support

Anne Marie Cohen Sam Placentino Elementary, Holliston, MA Grant Recipient February 2023

Henry’s trainer brought him to MSU for his first \”assignment.\” For me, it is absolutely surreal to see him working on campus, the campus that generations call home. Henry is able to bring a little joy and healing to a campus drowning in sadness. None of this would’ve been possible without Charlotte’s Litter. Charlotte is changing lives.

Clare Frey, Lincoln School, Petoskey, MI Grant recipient August 2022

BOLD LIKE CHARLOTTE.