About The Project
Our Story
The Willow Poodle Project: Bridging the Gap in School Mental Health
The Willow Poodle Project is a Missouri-based nonprofit founded by a veteran school counselor with over 17 years of experience supporting students in public schools. After witnessing firsthand the powerful impact of therapy dogs—and the personal financial burden placed on counselors to sustain them—The Willow Poodle Project was created to fill a critical gap in school-based mental health support.
Our Services
Empowering Schools with Therapy Dogs
Our primary initiative is funding professional training and certification for therapy dogs serving Missouri public schools.
We currently support two one-year-old dogs enrolled in a professional board-and-train program designed for high-stimulation environments like schools. Once certified, these dogs will work alongside a licensed school counselor to provide:
- Individual and small-group counseling support
- Crisis intervention and emotional regulation assistance
- Stress reduction during high-anxiety periods (testing, transitions, grief events)
- Relationship-building opportunities for students reluctant to engage in counseling
Our model is intentionally designed to be sustainable and replicable, allowing us to expand support to additional schools in the future.
Heart, Soul, and Paws: Meet Our Team
Nancy Doubrava
Founder and Director
Tina Lehr
President
Stacey Penney
Secretary
Katie Fulp
Treasurer
Sustaining the Paws that Provide Support
Our mission is to support school counselors by funding the acquisition, training, and ongoing care of certified therapy dogs in Missouri school settings.
Join the Willow Poodle Project!
Your support makes a difference!