Fetching Mrs. Visalli a therapy dog

Fetching Mrs. Visalli a therapy dog!




Jonna Harrison and myself, Kristy Ebert, would like to support our friend, Melissa Visalli, in her pursuit to have a therapy dog in her special education classroom.  Melissa is the kind of teacher who we all wish taught our kids. She is the type of person that gives so much of herself, both financially and emotionally, to her students- every single day. Melissa's dream has always been to have a therapy dog in her classroom for her students. We want to help make her dream come true! Having a therapy dog doesn't come without an expense (we all know how much teachers make) and we'd like to help lift some of that for her. Below you will read why Melissa feels a therapy dog would be beneficial to her students in her classroom.  Please help make her dream come true- any amount helps!




Let’s get a pup for the kids.  Welcome to the world of special education where everyone has a different story.  The story of an 8:1:1 classroom is full of creativity, laughter, and occasionally tears.  My students work hard everyday to learn and practice tools to help them cope with their feelings and emotions.  At times they need more than just their teacher to help them: they need a dog. Not just any dog, they need a certified therapy dog that can support their emotions when they have lost their words.  They need a dog to love them unconditionally when they don’t want to share the feelings or thoughts in their heads. They need a dog to listen to them read when they are struggling with the same sentence for the tenth time.  They need a dog to lean on when they are unsure if they should be adding or subtracting and just can’t bring themselves to ask.


With all this being said I have created a classroom where my students feel they are safe at home.  They have helped me pick out paint colors, rug colors, and decorations for the walls. They have chosen their own working areas- whether it be a desk, table or the floor.  I want them to feel safe and brave when they walk through the doors everyday! I feel I have been able to do this and all that is missing is a dog. I am asking for donations to support an amazing opportunity for both our school and my classroom.  There are many expenses that go along with owning a dog and training an animal in therapy.


We deeply appreciate any donation. This will be an incredible gift for generations of children to come through her door.