Harley’s Story & Anti Bullying
Hurt people hurt animals and people. Enjoy a creative elementary school author visit with Denise Gruzensky. What do Harley’s Story and bullying have in common? Harley is a rescue and special needs dog. Children with special needs are at higher risk according to STOMP out bullying.org. Stopbullying.gov states “Young people who are perceived as different than their peers are at risk for bullying”. Between one in three and one in four students say they have been bullied at school (read more). Pets are relatable to children and make learning fun. Including story time read aloud, discussion time Harley’s diagnosis, pet rescue, unconditional love and use of Wayside Waifs’ No More Bullying curriculum to take a deeper dive into bullying. The program integrates the human and animal perspective teaching respect for all.
The Creation of Author Visits with Harley’s Story & Wayside Waifs
Creating a meaningful program for children that felt like a good fit with Harley’s story was not easy. The search took a lot of time, the first edition of Harley’s Story was published in 2013, the lovely people from Wayside Waifs and I finally met in 2018 when I attended a BlogPaws conference in Kansas City. I am excited to bring Wayside Waifs No More Bullying and Harley’s Story together during my author visits.
From their site, No More Bullying ®:
- Integrates the human and animal perspective
- Conveys the significance of treating all living beings with care
- Captivates students’ attention while establishing the core value concepts
- Creates rewarding opportunities to practice, practice, practice the core values
- Inspires students to live healthier lives and become valuable contributors within their community
Whenever possible I will bring a therapy dog with me. Look at a visit with Wayside Waifs’ star Maverick.
9-year-old Pitbull the star of Wayside Waifs’ No More Bullying Program
If you are interested in a school visit please email me: DenisesDogDish@gmail.com
