Therapy Dogs in Schools: New Directions in the Human-Animal Bond

Jennie Dapice, PhD, OTR/L, BCP, C-AAIS is a board-certified pediatric occupational therapist and an assistant professor of occupational therapy at the University of New England and the University of Southern Maine. Dr. Dapice has practiced and studied in the field of human-animal interactions since 2001. She serves on the Board of Directors of ElderPet, a PetPartners Community Organization, as a member of the Canine Companions Therapy Dog Council, and as a faculty fellow at the Tufts Center for Animals and Public Policy.

Robin Peth-Pierce, MPA, C-AAIS, SW-T is the founder and CEO of Public Health Communications Consulting, LLC. Peth-Pierce has three decades of experience collaborating with researchers to translate scholarly findings into everyday practice. Through her decade-long experience as a 4-H volunteer, she trained youth in companion animal visitation principles, certified visiting animal teams for assisted-living centers, and taught livestock and agricultural principles. Her career began as a presidential management fellow at the National Institutes of Health, where she was trained in all aspects of the biomedical research process.