Paws and Peers
Mesa Public Schools is proud to utilize the Paws & Peers school therapy dog program. Participating MPS staff and their dogs, also known as paw partners, pass obedience and therapy classes and are tested and approved using a nationally recognized therapy team evaluation. Paws & Peers seeks to meet the social and emotional needs of Mesa Public Schools students and staff. These dogs serve as trusted companions in classrooms, and counseling, nurse's, or administrative offices for crisis intervention, behavioral de-escalation, or simply to address stress, anxiety, and/or isolation. The district’s therapy dog teams have served hundreds of individual students experiencing trauma, as well as entire campuses of students during evacuation events. On a day-to-day basis, our therapy dogs provide a warm welcome to students and staff, reducing stress and improving the climate of the campuses where they serve.
If you would like more information on the Paws & Peers program, please visit the following links.
Here at Mendoza, we are proud to participate in this amazing program. Winston is our paw partner dog! He is a 7-year-old cockapoo. Winston, AKA Winnie, loves the beach, long walks, and especially pup cups. Winnie lives for making new friends and going on adventures. He is a certified therapy dog and a member of the Paws & Peers program at Mesa Public Schools. He loves coming to school to see all of his friends! He is very patient and calm and enjoys being part of the lessons in Mrs. Davis’s kindergarten classroom. In addition to being a support dog in room 10, he will also serve as a trusted companion in other classrooms and areas of campus. He also loves to run into the older students around campus and out front at dismissal. This is when he gets the best pets. He is an all-around good boy, who's always there to give a cuddle or a laugh.
MPS and ASU are looking for feedback on the Paws & Peers program. Please use the link or QR code below for a quick easy way to let them know what you think about having Winnie at our school! Pawsitive Peers Survey
