Exploring the impact of a middle level school therapy dog on students and staff and connections to best practices in middle school education

The presence of therapy dogs in schools has increased due to the growing body of research showing positive effects of assisted-animal interaction. But there is little published research on how an innovation such as a therapy dog connects to best practices in middle level education. The goal of the research was to use the Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory to connect the implementation of a therapy dog to the Association for Middle Level Education’s (AMLE) essential attributes and characteristics as well as components of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model. Focus groups were conducted to illustrate connections among these frameworks. Findings exemplified intersectionality among AMLE attributes and characteristics and WSCC components, indicating the innovation of a therapy dog can foster a successful and healthy middle school environment for students and staff. This exploration resulted in the creation of a new framework showing how the innovation of a therapy dog aligns with best practices in middle level education.