SD Gunner Fund and the Rabun County School District have partenered together to bring facility therapy dogs to students who need them most! SD Gunner Fund trains therapy dogs that Rabun County Educators and Counselors bring into the schools to provide animal-assisted intervention to all of the children throughout the district.

Our School Facility Dog Program

SD Gunner Fund has trained facility dogs since 2018, reaching nearly 400,000 children at children’s museums and health clinics. Unlike service dogs that are trained to support one person, facility dogs are trained to support many people at once.

In 2022, we launched our school facility dog program. School facility dogs work full time during school hours to support students and teachers in a variety of ways. School facility dogs have been proven to:

Improve reading and language skills
Reduce anxiety and depression
Improve social skills
Encourage a positive attitude towards learning
Reduce negative classroom behaviors
Decrease absenteeism

Our Success So Far

SD Gunner Fund partnered with the Effingham County School District to pilot the first year of the school facility dog program. Noodle and Piper (the facility dogs) spent their days visiting over 14,000 K-12 students in classrooms, hallways, libraries, and counseling offices. During their visits, Noodle and Piper helped students relax before big exams, defused high-stress situations, comforted children with special needs, and encouraged children to read by offering a listening ear.

The feedback on this program has been incredible! Teachers report their students are less stressed about exams and showing more positive classroom behaviors. Parents share that their children are excited about learning and look forward to reading to Noodle and Piper. And students talk non-stop about how much they enjoy their time with Noodle and Piper. As one student simply shared, “Dogs always make things better.” We can't wait to bring this same progress to the Rabun County School District!

Help us Reach More Students at Rabun County Schools!

It costs SD Gunner Fund $7,765 to train and support a new facility dog and their handler. During the 2023 - 2024 school year, SD Gunner Fund will train and support two new facility dogs and handlers at the Rabun County School District. This will only be possible with the community’s support. Please donate so we can help more students succeed!

About SD Gunner Fund

SD Gunner Fund (SDGF) is a nonprofit that helps veterans, first responders, and children improve their health and well-being by providing fully trained service and facility dogs at no cost. There is a great need for our services in Coastal Georgia and South Carolina! Since our founding in 2014, SDGF has directly served over 500 children and adults and provided more than 65,000 hours of dog training.

SD Gunner Fund - Help Raise Funds for Facility Therapy Dogs at Rabun County Schools

By SD Gunner Fund

SD Gunner Fund - Help Raise Funds for Facility Therapy Dogs at Rabun County Schools

Help us reach more students!