Hope's Therapy Dogs

10/10/2025

What do therapy dogs actually do?

Not the cortisol studies or the blood pressure data. We know those effects are real.

Dogs give people permission. Permission to sit quietly. Permission to just be. Permission to show up exactly as they are without performing competence or managing impressions.

We can call this "unconditional positive regard"
They're just... there. Fully present, completely agenda-free.

And that matters because most of our professional interactions are conditional by design. We're constantly navigating:
- What's appropriate to say
- Who has authority
- Whether this moment is productive enough
- If we're taking up too much space

None of this is necessarily bad. Social structures serve purposes.

But they also exhaust us.

When organisations bring in therapy dogs, they're usually thinking about stress reduction for individuals. Fair enough. But I think something more interesting is happening.

The dog reveals what the environment lacks. Not because dogs are magic, but because they operate outside the transactional patterns we've normalized.

They show us what connection looks like when it's not tangled up with hierarchy, performance metrics, or strategic positioning.

Most workplace wellbeing efforts focus on helping people cope with demanding environments. Resilience training. Stress management. Mindfulness apps.

All potentially useful. But they accept the environment as fixed and focus on adjusting the person.

What if we asked different questions?

What if the intervention isn't the dog, but what the dog makes visible about how we've structured our interactions?

What changes when we design workplaces where people can be present with each other the way they are with a therapy dog?

09/10/2025

There's a fascinating paradox in animal-assisted interventions that most people miss.

The benefits aren't actually about the animal.

They're about what the animal makes possible.

Research shows that therapy dogs reduce cortisol levels, lower blood pressure, and improve emotional regulation.

But here's what the studies don't always emphasise:

These physiological changes happen because of the quality of interaction the dog facilitates, not some magical property dogs possess.

Dogs create what researchers call "permission structures."

They give us permission to:
→ Be present without multitasking
→ Connect without small talk
→ Show vulnerability without explanation
→ Receive comfort without having to earn it

Humans have these same capabilities.

We can create presence. We can offer non-judgmental acceptance. We can respond authentically to what someone actually needs.

So why do therapy dogs seem uniquely good at it?

Because they don't carry the baggage we've built into our professional and institutional interactions.

A therapy dog doesn't:
- Worry about hierarchy
- Calculate political implications
- Feel pressure to "fix" you
- Measure their time in productivity metrics

They model something we've largely lost in modern organisational life: unconditional, agenda-free presence.

Here's what this means for wellbeing initiatives:
Most workplace wellness programmes focus on individual resilience, teaching people to cope better with environments that deplete them.

Therapy dogs accidentally reveal a different approach: changing the quality of connection within the environment itself.

Therapy dogs aren't a solution to broken people.

They're a mirror reflecting what's missing in our environments.

The real work isn't just bringing them in.

It's learning from what they teach us about connection, presence, and what humans actually need to thrive.

What would change in your setting if you designed for those needs first?

07/10/2025

There's a fascinating paradox in animal-assisted interventions that most people miss.

The benefits aren't actually about the animal.

They're about what the animal makes possible.

Research shows that therapy dogs reduce cortisol levels, lower blood pressure, and improve emotional regulation.

But here's what the studies don't always emphasise:

These physiological changes happen because of the quality of interaction the dog facilitates, not some magical property dogs possess.

Dogs create what researchers call "permission structures."

They give us permission to:
→ Be present without multitasking
→ Connect without small talk
→ Show vulnerability without explanation
→ Receive comfort without having to earn it

Humans have these same capabilities.

We can create presence. We can offer non-judgmental acceptance. We can respond authentically to what someone actually needs.

So why do therapy dogs seem uniquely good at it?

Because they don't carry the baggage we've built into our professional and institutional interactions.

A therapy dog doesn't:
- Worry about hierarchy
- Calculate political implications
- Feel pressure to "fix" you
- Measure their time in productivity metrics

They model something we've largely lost in modern organisational life: unconditional, agenda-free presence.

Here's what this means for wellbeing initiatives:
Most workplace wellness programmes focus on individual resilience, teaching people to cope better with environments that deplete them.

Therapy dogs accidentally reveal a different approach: changing the quality of connection within the environment itself.

Therapy dogs aren't a solution to broken people.

They're a mirror reflecting what's missing in our environments.

The real work isn't just bringing them in.

It's learning from what they teach us about connection, presence, and what humans actually need to thrive.

What would change in your setting if you designed for those needs first?

03/10/2025

The results are in, and they tell a beautiful story. 🐶

When we asked what you'd name a therapy dog, 40% chose Captain Calm, and honestly?

That says everything about what we're all searching for right now.
In our workplaces, our schools, our healthcare settings... we're craving calm. We need it.

And therapy dogs don't just bring comfort, they create these quiet moments of peace in the middle of chaos.

At Hope's Therapy Dogs, we've watched our seven dogs (starting with Pippa, our first) do exactly this across the North West. They walk into rooms carrying stress and anxiety, and somehow, just by being present, they shift the atmosphere.

Captain Calm won this poll, but here's what really matters: whether you chose Echo, Juno, or even Fur-gale (we see you, creative souls! 😊), you all recognised something important, that our environments desperately need more connection, more humanity, more care.

Thank you to everyone who voted and shared. Your voices matter in this conversation about wellbeing.

What would your workplace look like with a therapy dog walking the corridors?

02/10/2025

We ask children to speak before they're ready so often. To participate. To engage. To be heard.

But what happens when the pressure to speak becomes the very thing that keeps them quiet?

At Hope's Therapy Dogs, we don't force breakthroughs. We create safe spaces where they can happen naturally.

Bridges between silence and speech. Between anxiety and courage. Between isolation and connection.

For some children, the first step toward finding their voice doesn't begin with words at all. It begins with a touch. A moment of pure, uncomplicated acceptance.

And from there, everything follows.

If you're curious about how structured therapy dog programmes can support children's confidence and wellbeing,

I'd love to chat: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/free-value-session-with-alison-colley

02/10/2025

Winning EVAS, Then a Fracture: How Hope’s Therapy Dogs Balances Celebration, Crisis, and Care

In the same week we celebrated an EVAS win, our therapy dog Stella broke her leg. Here’s how we’re safeguarding welfare, maintaining continuity for schools and NHS partners, and staying true to our values.

Enterprise Vision Awards

Last week brought a whirlwind of emotions for our team at Hope’s Therapy Dogs. On Thursday, we were honoured to be recognised at the EVAS (Enterprise Vision Awards) for our work in health and wellbeing—a moment of deep pride for our whole team and the schools, families, and partners who believe ...

30/09/2025

Yes, it’s me again with that EVAS win… promise this is the last time I mention it (this week 😉).

Jokes aside, the sparkle in this photo sits on years of graft: safeguarding, evidence logs, muddy paws, and a non-negotiable, welfare-first approach to Animal Assisted Intervention. Hope’s legacy is why we do this—and why our standards are high for both our clients and our dogs.

If you’re an NHS lead, people manager or school leader looking for meaningful wellbeing support that’s measurable, humane and budget-sensible, we can help:
• Structured, evidence-based AAI with clear outcomes
• Welfare-first practice (protecting dogs protects people)
• Reduced anxiety, better regulation/engagement, and a lift in morale you can feel

Autumn dates are opening now and I’m happy to listen and shape a programme around your setting.

DM me - Ali Colley | Founder & Director, Hope’s Therapy Dogs

29/09/2025

🌟 FREE Book for Primary Schools 🌟

I’m so excited to share this beautiful new resource by Dani Seatter, author and founder of Eco-Able Ltd.

📖 About Hedgehog is a gentle children’s book to help pupils understand and cope with bereavement. Thanks to Dani’s campaign, every primary school in the UK can receive a free copy — complete with lesson plans.

💌 Schools simply need to contact Dani here:
👉 About Hedgehog Bereavement Book Campaign

There’s also a brand new research report from St Mary’s University showing how books can support children through grief:
👉 Read the research

Please tag or share with any teachers or schools who might benefit ❤️

29/09/2025

From a surprise nomination 💌 to walking through the doors of the House of Commons 🇬🇧 … to a pink-filled evening celebrating women in business 💗 — our EVAS journey has been one we’ll never forget.

We’re so honoured that Hope’s Therapy Dogs was named the Health & Wellbeing Award Winner 2025 🏆🐾

I’ve shared the whole story — the emotions, the people, and the moments that made it unforgettable — in a new blog:
👉 From Nomination to Celebration: Our Journey to Winning an EVAS Award

🔗 Read it here: https://www.hopestherapydogs.co.uk/blogs/from-nomination-to-celebration-our-journey-to-winning-an-evas-award

28/09/2025

So grateful that we WON the EVAS Health & Wellbeing Award! 🏆💗

In my excitement yesterday, I didn’t properly thank everyone—and they deserve it. So across this week, I’ll be posting short spotlights to honour the incredible people and organisations who made this possible and to showcase the brilliant work they do.

First, a huge thank you to and Lizzie Beckford and the fantastic EVAS team for an unforgettable evening—brilliant from start to finish. It was a treat to be seated next to , and the judges were outstanding: thoughtful, diligent, and so encouraging.

Why this matters: the Enterprise Vision Awards shine a spotlight on women who inspire, lead, and break barriers. Recognition like this fuels our mission at Hope’s Therapy Dogs—delivering ethical Animal Assisted Intervention that supports children’s mental health while safeguarding the wellbeing of our dogs. 🐾

Please follow along this week as I share individual thank-yous and stories of impact. And if you’re building something meaningful (or know someone who is), consider entering or nominating for the next EVAS: enterprisevisionawards.co.uk

24/09/2025

People often ask me why I keep doing this. For me, it all started with Hope. We do because we have seen how powerful love and presence can be.

I sometimes think of it like raking leaves in the garden. You know more leaves will fall, but that doesn’t stop you from clearing a space. For a while, things feel lighter, calmer, easier.

That’s what these therapy dogs do. They don’t take away every worry, but they carry Hope’s legacy. They make space for smiles, peace, and connection.

And that’s why I keep showing up. Because those moments matter. 🐾💜