Roxy™ Responders
Lowen proudly wears his Roxy™ Responder bandana, ready to comfort children who have experienced a traumatic event in their community.
Supporting the Community’s Children in Crisis
Our Dogs Provide Comfort in the Aftermath of a Traumatic Event Affecting Children
Roxy™ Responders trauma response team was created in 2021, after a local student was killed in a car accident on prom night. Roxy™ Therapy Dogs was at the school in the days following and through graduation day to provide comfort, calm, and compassion to both students and staff as they navigated the mixed emotions of mourning the loss of a peer and looking forward to graduation.
Realizing that, unfortunately, this would not be the last traumatic event our community would face, Roxy Therapy Dogs sprang into action and created a trauma response team.
Members of this team receive specialized training from certified school psychologists, specialists with NOVA (Network of Victims Assistance), and a certified canine behaviorist. These lectures — Trauma 101, Compassion Fatigue, Recognizing How Trauma Affects Children, and Recognizing Signs of Stress in our Dogs — arm our volunteers with the knowledge needed to provide the highest level of comfort and support during traumatic and uncertain times.
Interested in volunteering? Learn more ➜
“I’ve been bragging nonstop about the impact your dogs had on the kids, the staff, and the entire school community during this difficult time!
This experience has given us an understanding of the incredible impact dogs can have on our students and staff and their well-being.
The dogs' presence added a type of calm to our entire school community.
Thanks again so very much!”
—Karen Martinell, Bucks I.U., Strayer Middle School
Bliss comforts students at Strayer Middle School.
Roxy™ Responders
Benefits to the Children
Offering a sense of calm and unconditional love during particularly stressful times associated with a traumatic event in the community.
Location
Roxy Responders is available to organizations that serve children up to college age, such as schools, places of worship, and youth centers in Bucks County or within 20 miles of Doylestown, PA, on an as-needed basis after a traumatic event has occurred.
Director
Andrea Dadigan, Director of Roxy Responders
“Roxy Responders were greatly appreciated today at Groveland by students and staff. Students petted, hugged, and kissed Missy and Tucker. There was one group of girls that were emotional, but their tears turned to smiles within seconds of approaching the dogs. This is so very, very rewarding! I’m proud to be part of such an incredible group of people and their amazing dogs!”
— Brenda Gouldey and Missy
Roxy Responders FAQs
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This is dependent upon situations that arise in the community. You must be ready to respond with little notice.
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No, only children up to college age.
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We respond to requests in Bucks County or within 20 miles of Doylestown. Schools, places of worship, and youth centers are a few examples of locations we attend.
