The Koda Project

05/21/2026

05/10/2026

I'm thrilled to announce I'm now a Certified Animal-Assisted Intervention Specialist (C-AAIS) with AAAIP! I'm committed to responsibly integrating therapy animals into my classrooms, businesses, human health practices. 🎉💕 🐾

05/05/2026

There’s something powerful happening this month—and it sits right at the heart of everything we believe in at Koda Project. 🌿

As we recognize Mental Health Awareness Month and National Pet Month, we’re reminded that healing doesn’t happen in isolation… it happens in connection.

Connection to each other.
Connection to animals.
Connection to the world around us.

This is the foundation of the human–animal bond—and why this next conversation on One Health matters so deeply to our work.

👇 Take a moment to read and reflect on how our wellbeing—and the wellbeing of the animals we love—is more interconnected than we may realize.

✨ Curious how to bring this into your own space? The Koda Project partners with healthcare organizations, schools, and workplaces to thoughtfully integrate animal-assisted interventions that support wellbeing, connection, and culture. Reach out to start the conversation.

🌿 Healthy Minds, Happy Animals, Stronger Together.

Did you know May is National Mental Health Awareness Month AND National Pet Month?

Over the next month, APA HAI will be sharing research, resources, and educational opportunities exploring how animals impact our mental health. Each week brings a different theme — and we're starting with the concept of One Health.

So what is One Health, and how does it connect to mental health and our pets?

🔄 One Health is the interconnection between animal, human, and environmental health. The wellbeing of each is essential to the others — meaning efforts to keep the environment, people, and animals healthy will result in the health of all three to remain balanced.

⚠️ When one of these components is unhealthy, the others are at risk. For example, Zoonosis — the passing of disease between humans and animals — impacts the mental wellbeing of both.

🌬️Climate change is another negative interaction: habitat destruction harms animals and affects human mental health outcomes too.

🌱 On the flip side, zooeyia — the positive outcomes of humans and animals interacting — can occur when both humans and animals are healthy! Restoring and protecting natural environments gives both humans and animal a healthy place to interact in.

📖 Want to dig deeper? See Dell and colleagues' new publication on how human-animal interactions are becoming increasingly important in combating social isolation:

Dell, C. A., Pavelich, A., Woodsworth, J., Mumford, E., Gillett, J., Wu, H., & Carver, L. (2026). One Health zooeyia in our asocial age: A transdisciplinary and systems approach to the human-animal bond. CABI One Health. https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/cabionehealth.2026.0008

💬 What's a moment when an animal in your life supported your mental health? Share in the comments.

04/26/2026

This is why I created the Koda Project. Reach out to me today to schedule a 15 minute connection call ❤️

04/24/2026

There are moments when words fall short… and connection steps in.

One of the most meaningful workshops I’ve ever led was centered on su***de prevention, youth mental health, and the role of therapy animals in healing.

Because sometimes, what a young person needs isn’t another lecture.
They need to feel safe.
They need to feel seen.
They need to feel something shift—even if just for a moment.

And that’s where animal-assisted interventions come in.

Through thoughtfully designed, evidence-based programming, therapy dogs create a bridge—
between silence and expression,
between anxiety and calm,
between isolation and connection.

I’ve watched students who wouldn’t speak… sit beside a dog and begin to open.
I’ve seen guarded walls soften with a simple, quiet presence.
I’ve witnessed moments that quite literally change the trajectory of a day—and sometimes more.

Whether it’s the Youth Mental Health Summit, visiting young patients at a local mental health hospital, or providing academic support and stress relief in schools and colleges—The Koda Project is here to strengthen that impact.

We partner with schools, healthcare organizations, and community programs to implement safe, ethical, and research-informed animal-assisted interventions that support mental health, resilience, and human connection.

And the impact? It lasts far beyond the visit.

“Therapy dogs have had a meaningful and lasting impact on our students. Each semester, many actively seek out opportunities to spend time with them. The sense of relief and comfort students experience… is evident and significant. Stacey and Koda were instrumental in establishing these therapy dog events… Their legacy continues to be felt in the positive experiences and sense of connection these visits bring to the students.” -Nichole, LMFT, lead counselor, Husson University Wellness Center

This is more than a program.
It’s a shift in how we care for people.

If you’re a school, healthcare organization, or community leader looking to bring something meaningful, impactful, and truly transformative to your space—

Let’s connect.

Because healing doesn’t always start with words.
Sometimes… it starts with a wag. 🐾

02/08/2026

The Koda Project is a professional consulting and education practice focused on animal-assisted therapy program design, training, and development.

We partner with schools, healthcare systems, and community organizations to design, grow, and sustain ethical, effective animal-assisted therapy programs rooted in best practices, compassion, and impact. The Koda Project is dedicated to:

• Consulting for schools, healthcare systems, and organizations
• Education and training in animal-assisted therapy best practices
• Ethical program development and sustainability

The Koda Project is also home to the Fetch Me children’s book series, an educational storytelling initiative that introduces young readers to kindness, empathy, emotional awareness, and the human–animal bond through therapy dog experiences.

Inspired by therapy dog, Koda. Built for organizations. Rooted in compassion and evidence-informed practice.

We’re glad you’re here.