Strengthening School Communities Through the Human–Animal Bond at Liza Jackson Preparatory School

Strengthening School Communities Through the Human–Animal Bond at Liza Jackson Preparatory School

We believe meaningful change happens when schools and community partners come together with a shared commitment to connection, care, and student well-being. Recently, we had the honor of spending time at Liza Jackson Preparatory School, where their instructional and solutions teams gathered to reflect on goals, celebrate progress, and strengthen community ties—with a little help from our therapy dog teams. The experience was a powerful reminder of how the human–animal bond can bring calm, joy, and renewed energy into learning environments. We are grateful to Liza Jackson Preparatory School for welcoming us so warmly and for sharing the impact of this special visit.

“I just wanted to take the time to thank you for bringing such love and light to our building last week, not just with Nash and Jake but with Jeri and Dinah too!  The staff has not stopped talking about and thanking us for such an uplifting afternoon.”

Nicole Lockwood

Assistant Principal, Liza Jackson Preparatory School

Walk for a Cause with Dog-Harmony at the 6th Annual Hops for Hounds on January 18

Walk for a Cause with Dog-Harmony at the 6th Annual Hops for Hounds on January 18

Freeport, Fla. – Is your puppy resolved to enjoy more walks with you in the New Year? Dog-Harmony’s Sixth Annual Hops for Hounds on Sunday, January 18, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., is the perfect opportunity to reach that goal.

The annual dog walk and after party, presented by Emerald Coast Hospice Care and hosted for the second year by Props Brewery in Hammock Bay in Freeport, promises to be a ‘pawsome’ way to get those steps in.

“We encourage all dog-loving families in our area to walk for a cause at Hops for Hounds,” said Nancy Bown, CPDT-KA and founder of Dog-Harmony. “Props Brewery in Hammock Bay provides a great, family-friendly space to socialize after a fun stroll with our four-legged friends.”

Participants will kick off the event with a scenic, one-mile stroll along Hammock Bay’s wooded paths, followed by a lively after party at Props Brewery featuring craft beer, music, sponsor giveaways, a silent auction, food trucks, digital doggie photos, and more.

Tickets, which include one human and one dog, are $30 in advance or $35 per entry the day of the event. Commemorative Hops for Hounds t-shirts are still available for early registrations, although requested sizes cannot be guaranteed. Each human walker over 21 will also receive a complimentary craft beer. Dog-Harmony encourages early registrations to secure an event shirt at https://dog-harmony.org/events/6th-annual-hops-for-hounds.

Dog-Harmony requires that all dogs be at least 6 months old and current on rabies vaccinations, and requests that no prong, choke, or shock collars be used on dogs at the event.

“The proceeds from our signature fundraising events like Hops for Hounds directly support our therapy dog, child education, and Paw Pantry programs to keep pups and people together in our local communities,” Bown adds.

In 2025, Dog-Harmony provided 4,687 local children with humane education programming; supported local hospitals, schools, and nonprofits with more than 1,687 hours of therapy dog visits; and donated nearly $6,900 in dog food and supplies and 90 hours of complimentary dog training to assist families in need, allowing them to keep their dogs at home.

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About Dog-Harmony: Dog-Harmony is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2015 by certified professional dog trainer Nancy Bown, CPDT-KA. The organization is dedicated to enhancing the bond between dogs and humans through community education. In essence, it helps dogs rescue people. Dog-Harmony’s key programs include: therapy dog team support services; humane education for children and families; Keeping Dogs in Homes; and pet bereavement counseling. These programs are made possible through donations, grants, and the continued support of dedicated volunteers. For more information, visit www.dog-harmony.org.

Thanks to Dog-Harmony, More Tails Are Wagging in Niceville

Thanks to Dog-Harmony, More Tails Are Wagging in Niceville

By Christie Solomon

Niceville, Fla. — Where the therapy dogs’ wagging tails go, Niceville students are learning empathy toward animals and each other, and patients are healing faster with smiles. Dog-Harmony, a 501(c)(3) affiliate of Intermountain Therapy Animals (ITA), evaluates and manages therapy dog teams in Bay, Walton, and Okaloosa counties in Northwest Florida.

Dog-Harmony currently manages 12 volunteer therapy dog teams that serve public and nonprofit organizations in the Niceville area through animal-assisted interactions, including the R.E.A.D.ing Paws program. Partners include Bluewater Elementary School, James E. Plew Elementary School, Addie R. Lewis School (Valparaiso), Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center, Niceville Public Library, and HCA Florida Twin Cities Hospital.

Dog-Harmony is dedicated to reducing the shelter dog population through ongoing, community-focused, humane education and therapy dog programs that enrich the human-animal bond.

What is Humane Education?

“Humane education [is] designed to cultivate compassion for humans, animals, and/or the environment.” The Animal Legal Defense Fund states that the field “exists to foster creative and critical thinking skills within people, which enable them to make benevolent choices and enhance respect for the natural world and its inhabitants.” Access to humane education programming for children is critical as they begin developing empathy skills and humane attitudes.

The Role of Therapy Dogs in Humane Education

Therapy dog teams, consisting of an evaluated therapy dog and handler, support Dog-Harmony’s humane education and responsible dog care programs for children and families, helping them practice what they learn. At the end of November, 4,250 children in Okaloosa and Walton counties had attended Dog-Harmony’s humane education programs in 2025.

Studies have shown that humane education programs improve children’s empathy toward animals and, in turn, toward one another.

R.E.A.D.ing Paws Program

In addition to empathy, therapy dogs can also encourage a love of reading. Dog-Harmony is an affiliate of ITA’s R.E.A.D.ing Paws (Reading Education Assistance Dogs) program, an initiative designed to help children build confidence and improve their literacy skills with the help of trained therapy dogs and their handlers. Evaluated therapy dog teams interested in participating in this program are required to take the R.E.A.D.ing Paws workshop and undergo (human) background checks before being put into service.

The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) states, “Children have reported liking the animal and enjoying reading to them, increasing their motivation to read… Pets are not judgmental, they do not laugh [or] criticize, and allow children to read at their own pace. Dogs can reduce the stress reactions of children performing a stressful task.”

In the Twin Cities area, Dog-Harmony currently manages 3 R.E.A.D.ing Paws therapy dog teams that visit Bluewater Bay Elementary School, Addie R. Lewis School, James E. Plew Elementary School, and Niceville Public Library.

Therapy Dogs in Health Settings

In addition to social and emotional learning and literacy benefits for children in schools, interactions with therapy dogs can actively reduce stress and anxiety in medical and at-risk youth advocacy settings. Therapy dogs can improve human mental and physiological health through acceptance, physical comfort, mental stimulation, socialization, and entertainment through animal-assisted interactions.

According to HABRI, animal-assisted interactions have been shown to positively “influence levels of blood pressure, heart rate, [and] hormones correlated with well-being, including cortisol, oxytocin, β-endorphin, prolactin, phenylacetic acid and dopamine.”

Ways to Get Involved

Dog-Harmony founder, Nancy Bown, a Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA), knows that the continued growth of the therapy dog program relies on volunteers and the generosity of corporate sponsors and individual donors.

“We are always looking for new volunteers to make this program successful,” says Bown. “We need both new therapy dog teams and team support volunteers without dogs.”

Compassionate support volunteers help coordinate therapy dog visits in hospitals and support Dog-Harmony teams in the community. This support volunteer role provides an opportunity to shadow current therapy dog teams and offers insights into a potential future team role paired with an evaluated therapy dog.

To learn more about Dog-Harmony, request a therapy dog visit, or become a volunteer, please visit www.dog-harmony.org.

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About Dog-Harmony: Dog-Harmony is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2015 by certified professional dog trainer Nancy Bown, CPDT-KA. The organization is dedicated to enhancing the bond between dogs and humans through community education. In essence, it helps dogs rescue people. Dog-Harmony’s key programs include: therapy dog team support services; humane education for children and families; Keeping Dogs in Homes; and pet bereavement counseling. These programs are made possible through donations, grants, and the continued support of dedicated volunteers. For more information, visit www.dog-harmony.org.

Dog-Harmony Receives Generous Q4 Donation from 100+ Women Who Care Emerald Coast

Dog-Harmony Receives Generous Q4 Donation from 100+ Women Who Care Emerald Coast

Miramar Beach, Fla. — Dog-Harmony, Inc. is honored to announce that it has received a generous Q4 donation of $18,800 from 100+ Women Who Care Emerald Coast, a philanthropic group dedicated to making a meaningful, local impact through collective giving.

This gift will directly support the expansion of Dog-Harmony’s evaluated Therapy Dog Teams across Okaloosa, Walton, and Bay Counties, allowing more children to benefit from the comfort, confidence, and emotional support these volunteer teams provide. Therapy Dog Teams are essential for Dog-Harmony’s caring mission to provide literacy and wellness programs, including READing Paws, humane education classes, and visits with at-risk youth.

The donation will also help sustain current Therapy Dog Teams by supporting specialty insurance, handler and dog uniforms, training, and essential operational needs that keep the program running safely and effectively.

“We are deeply grateful to the members of 100+ Women Who Care Emerald Coast for believing in our mission,” said Nancy Bown, Executive Director of Dog-Harmony. “Their generosity allows us to reach even more children with the healing presence of Therapy Dogs and helps ensure our teams can continue serving the community with excellence.”

Women interested in joining this incredible local giving circle and supporting local nonprofits can learn more at www.facebook.com/100WWCEC.

For more information on Dog-Harmony or to learn how to get involved as a volunteer, visit www.dog-harmony.org.

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About Dog-Harmony: Dog-Harmony is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2015 by certified professional dog trainer Nancy Bown, CPDT-KA. The organization is dedicated to enhancing the bond between dogs and humans through community education. In essence, it helps dogs rescue people. Dog-Harmony’s key programs include: therapy dog team support services; humane education for children and families; Keeping Dogs in Homes; and pet bereavement counseling. These programs are made possible through donations, grants, and the continued support of dedicated volunteers. For more information, visit www.dog-harmony.org.

NextEra Energy Foundation and FPL Bound in with Gift to Grow Dog-Harmony Therapy Dog Teams

NextEra Energy Foundation and FPL Bound in with Gift to Grow Dog-Harmony Therapy Dog Teams

Miramar Beach, Fla. — In September, NextEra Energy Foundation awarded Dog-Harmony, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to enriching the bond between people and animals through humane education and professionally evaluated therapy dog team programs, a $5,000 grant. The NextEra Energy Foundation is a corporate charitable foundation of NextEra Energy, Inc. and Florida Power & Light Company (FPL).

This grant will help expand the recruitment, specialty training, evaluation, management, and deployment of new therapy dog teams serving children and families across Okaloosa, Walton, and Bay Counties in Northwest Florida. The therapy dog teams, consisting of a volunteer and their dog, offer structured literacy support through the READing Paws program, support humane education classes in libraries for children and families, conduct hospital visits for patients and staff, and provide wellness visits for at-risk youth.

Dog-Harmony partners with local schools, public libraries, and non-profit facilities, including Children in Crisis, Lotus Learning Center, and Westonwood Ranch, to offer these services at no cost to the community. At the end of September 2025, Dog-Harmony served a total of 2,090 children. As the demand for therapy dog teams continues to grow, exceeding the nonprofit’s resources, the NextEra Energy Foundation grant helps ensure that more children will have access to the emotional comfort and academic encouragement they provide.

“We are very grateful to FPL and the NextEra Energy Foundation for this generous support,” said Nancy Bown, CPDT-KA, Founder of Dog-Harmony. “This funding allows us to expand the number of therapy dog teams so more children can experience the calming effects that come from reading and emotionally connecting with a supportive therapy dog.”

“Supporting organizations like Dog-Harmony reflects the NextEra Energy Foundation’s commitment to strengthening the communities we serve,” said J.T. Young, Vice President and General Manager of FPL’s northwest region. “Therapy dog programs provide invaluable emotional support and educational benefits to children and families, helping build stronger, more resilient communities. We’re honored to partner with nonprofits that make such a meaningful difference in the lives of families.”

For more information about Dog-Harmony’s programs or to learn how to get involved, visit https://dog-harmony.org. Follow the celebration online: #FPLCares.

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About Dog-Harmony: Dog-Harmony is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2015 by certified professional dog trainer Nancy Bown, CPDT-KA. The organization is dedicated to enhancing the bond between dogs and humans through community education. In essence, it helps dogs rescue people. Dog-Harmony’s key programs include therapy dog team support services, humane education for children and families, Keeping Dogs in Homes, and pet bereavement counseling. These programs are made possible through donations, grants, and the continued support of dedicated volunteers. For more information, visit www.dog-harmony.org.

About NextEra Energy Foundation: NextEra Energy Foundation partners with and invests in non-profit organizations throughout Northwest Florida. It aims to build strong and sustainable communities, improving the lives of its customers through innovation, sustainability, opportunity, and safety. The NextEra Energy Foundation is a corporate charitable foundation of NextEra Energy, Inc. and Florida Power & Light Company (FPL).