Westbrook Middle School

Meet Finn, our Therapy Dog. Finn is a 4 year old Chocolate Lab who spends his days in and around the Main Office. We brought Finn into our school during the hybrid post-pandemic year and immediately found that being able to connect with a gentle canine companion significantly reduced student anxiety and supported students' feelings of connection to school. Finn sometimes spends scheduled time with our school counselors or social workers and their students as they work through some feelings of anxiety or uncertainty about school. He is also part of our Positive Behavior Intervention Support plan. Students can spend time walking him or throwing the ball with him as one of their chosen rewards for positive behaviors. Some of our students are unfamiliar with the idea of domesticated dogs as pets and we have also found that getting to be around Finn has helped them become more comfortable with the idea of dogs in the community, which is very important given that the Portland area has lots of dogs out and about whom they might encounter. We are careful to ensure that students who are fearful or who prefer not to see or be near Finn, do not need to encounter him; there are several offices and spaces where Finn can spend time away from Main Office visitors. Lastly, we have dozens and dozens of students and staff who simply feel better being able to connect with Finn during the school day. Thanks, Finn, for all you do to brighten our days at Westbrook Middle School!