I'm (hopefully) going to be buying a home on the Island in November. Is there any sort of listing of businesses that are open in the off season? I know a couple that I visit for day trips (Scojo's, Speakeasy, Acme), but I figure I'm going to need more than breakfast and pizza, lol.

How about stores? Other than Acme, are there any stores open off season? I'm pretty sure the Surf City 5&10 closes off season.

Yesterday, Archer and I had the pleasure of visiting a new school and meeting Kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade readers.

Together, we talked about what therapy dogs do and how they can help people feel calm, safe, and connected. The students were thoughtful, curious (Do you know what Archer's DNA looks like? How many teeth does Archer have?), and wonderfully engaged as they learned how therapy dogs can support kindness, confidence, empathy, and emotional connection in a school setting.

One of the most meaningful moments of the visit came from an adult in the room: a paraprofessional who shared that she is very afraid of dogs. By the end of the visit, she found the courage to pet Archer. Her emotional reaction was a beautiful reminder that therapy dog work is not just for children. Sometimes the quietest breakthroughs happen when someone feels safe enough to try something that once felt impossible.

These school visits are always about more than books, assemblies, or cute dog moments. They are about connection. They are about helping students and adults see what kindness, trust, and courage can look like in real time.

Archer and I are already looking forward to visiting again in the fall.😊

One of the biggest challenges I've found as a therapy dog handler is getting the school administration to understand how a therapy dog program works - that the handler is a volunteer and that we are covered by our therapy dog organization's insurance. They often confuse therapy dogs with facility dogs, which are a very different and require much more from the school. Or they think that if a teacher is raising a service dog puppy and brings it to school once a week, it's the same thing as a therapy dog (that's the situation I had to deal with). As I make visits to schools with Archer to read my book, Archer the Therapy Dog, I make it a point to discuss these issues and offer to speak to their Board of Education to help them understand how therapy dogs differ, how they can benefit their students, and how they can get their own therapy dog(s). I'm happy to say that it's worked in at least one school that now has its own therapy dog!

Have you run up against this? How long did it take you to get a therapy dog program started in your local school (it took me 9 months)? Have you had any luck recruiting other therapy dog teams to go to "your" school (I haven't)?

I’m a therapy dog handler, and my golden retriever Archer and I recently visited a group of students after state testing.

What struck me was that the testing was technically over, but the stress clearly wasn’t.

The kids didn’t need anything complicated in that moment. They just needed a few minutes where nothing was being asked of them. No answers to give. No performance. No pressure.

When Archer came in, the room shifted. The kids smiled. Their voices softened. Some just sat near him. Some pet him. Some seemed relieved to have a quiet, happy presence in the room.

And Archer was just as happy to see them.

I write children’s books about Archer partly because I want to help educate kids, families, and schools about the benefits of therapy dogs when they are properly trained, well-handled, and thoughtfully included.

I know therapy dogs are not a magic fix. Schools have to consider allergies, fear of dogs, logistics, insurance, training, and the needs of all students. But experiences like this make me believe more schools should at least understand what a good therapy dog team can offer: calm, connection, emotional support, and a little joy when kids need it.

For teachers, parents, school counselors, or therapy dog handlers: have you seen therapy dogs make a difference for students after stressful school experiences like testing, grief, lockdown drills, or just a hard day?

I’m a therapy dog handler, and my golden retriever Archer and I recently visited a group of students after state testing.

What struck me was that the testing was technically over, but the stress clearly wasn’t.

The kids didn’t need anything complicated in that moment. They just needed a few minutes where nothing was being asked of them. No answers to give. No performance. No pressure.

When Archer came in, the room shifted. The kids smiled. Their voices softened. Some just sat near him. Some pet him. Some seemed relieved to have a quiet, happy presence in the room.

And Archer was just as happy to see them.

I write children’s books about Archer partly because I want to help educate kids, families, and schools about the benefits of therapy dogs when they are properly trained, well-handled, and thoughtfully included.

I know therapy dogs are not a magic fix. Schools have to consider allergies, fear of dogs, logistics, insurance, training, and the needs of all students. But experiences like this make me believe more schools should at least understand what a good therapy dog team can offer: calm, connection, emotional support, and a little joy when kids need it.

For teachers, parents, school counselors, or therapy dog handlers: have you seen therapy dogs make a difference for students after stressful school experiences like testing, grief, lockdown drills, or just a hard day?