Twinkle the therapy dog | Westerville Education Challenge

Twinkle the therapy dog!

Her eyes, ears and wagging tail

We are excited to share information with you on the perhaps most adorable initiative we support: TWINKLE!

Twinkle is a professionally trained therapy dog. After spending the first two years of her life in training, the “Goldador” (a Golden Retriever-Labrador Retriever mix) went to work in the Westerville City School District in the fall of 2022.

Westerville Education Challenge funded her initial training and funds her yearly care costs, which include ongoing refresher training.

More about Twinkle:

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Based at Westerville South, serving the District

Twinkle spends most of her time at Westerville South High School with her owner, District social worker and mental health specialist Noelle Spriestersbach. But she does get around to different schools, and her work as a social-emotional support animal will continue to expand district-wide.

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Certified Canine Companion

Twinkle is a certified, trained Canine Companion and went through more than 4,000 hours of training before being placed with Westerville City Schools. Now that’s a lot of homework!

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She's always happy to see you!

Twinkle loves to greet students at Westerville South as they enter school each morning, and her presence is making a very positive impact on the students and staff.

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The amazing Canine Companian program

Read more about the awesome national nonprofit that bred and trained Twinkle. Canine Companions places between 325 and 375 service dogs per year, and has placed over 7,100 dogs since 1975.

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