Baker County 4-H revives therapy dog program with border collie Meg

Kate Hill restarted a dormant Baker County 4-H dog club and has been training her border collie, Meg, to become the county’s first registered therapy-dog volunteer team with Pet Partners. The revival, which began in 2022, has grown into a small but active program aimed at expanding community mental-health supports and school outreach.

Under club leader Dana Hill, membership has risen to seven youth, and members have earned American Kennel Club certificates including the Canine Good Citizen and higher-level awards. Those credentials provide a foundation for therapy work by demonstrating basic obedience, socialization, and public manners that therapy programs require.

Meg’s training has focused on practical exposures and bedside etiquette that would be essential for hospital and classroom visits. Exercises have included distraction training and familiarization with wheelchairs and elevators, plus a “paws up” routine designed for calm, accessible petting at bedside. The program emphasizes steady temperament and predictable behavior so handlers and facilities can rely on safe interactions.

Local interest has been steady. School and youth leaders have signaled support for therapy visits as a complement to existing mental-health efforts. 4-H leader Angela Robb and teacher and FFA advisor Nicole Merchant have backed the program’s potential to provide comfort for students and community members. For Kate Hill the work has a personal dimension: Meg has been a source of comfort during her own mental-health challenges, and certification would allow visits to carry that support more broadly across Baker County.

The development matters for Baker County because certified therapy teams can augment local health and education resources without adding recurring budgetary cost. Therapy visits have been shown elsewhere to reduce anxiety in patients and to improve classroom engagement for students, and a local volunteer team would keep those benefits close to home. For youth participating in 4-H, the program also builds skills in animal care, public responsibility, and community service that transfer into future leadership roles.

Next steps for the team include completing whatever additional testing Pet Partners requires and coordinating with local hospitals and schools interested in visits once certification is in hand. Residents who want to learn more about joining the dog club or requesting a visit can contact Baker County 4-H through the county extension office. As Meg’s training progresses, Baker County could soon have a tail-wagging addition to its toolkit for mental-health and youth outreach.