Coco is St Ann’s little therapy dog.
In January 2019 we contacted Battersea Dogs’ Home to say we were searching for a very special dog who we could train as our therapy dog. At the end of May, one of the vets rang and said they had the perfect dog. Coco had a very difficult life and lots of surgery at Battersea but her extremely gentle and kind nature would be an ideal match for us.
Then began 7 months of training for her Pets at Therapy accreditation. Initially, Coco worked intensively one to one with a specialist dog trainer for and then attended a group training classes. Coco passed all her assessments with flying colours. Coco works in school four days a week.
She is very popular with all the students. After anxious moments, taking Coco for a walk or a visit to the students’ classroom really helps. Some of the students practise their walking and Coco is a great motivator. We keep in close touch with Battersea and after Coronvirus restrictions finished they would like to use her story at St. Ann’s as a case study.