Tiffany Shevchik, AAI Program Developer

Mrs. Shevchik holds her master’s degree in Education with a concentration in Curriculum and Instruction. She is certified by the Association of Child Life Professionals as a Certified Child Life Specialist. She has formerly worked at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital as a professional leader and Certified Child Life Specialist for over 22 years. Mrs. Shevchik is also a Calais Therapy Dog Handler working with her therapy dog Dior to facilitate animal assisted therapies.

Calais Therapy Dog Handlers

Lori Kertesz
Lori KerteszAAI Handler
Mrs. Kertesz and her dog Star, are the newest members of Calais’ Animal Assisted Interventions team. As a Registered Nurse and a Physical Therapist, Mrs. Kertesz has many years of experience working in a hospital setting. Previously, she and Star volunteered regularly at a nursing home. Mrs. Kertesz is super excited to support Calais students as they work toward their therapeutic goals.
Heather McGuire
Heather McGuireAAI Handler
Ms. McGuire is a proud graduate of The Calais School! Bella, her Golden Retriever, has been a therapy dog since 2017. Prior to joining our AAI team, Ms. McGuire and Bella worked with elementary school students and volunteered at nursing homes and the Livingston Rec Center. Ms. McGuire and Bella work together to facilitate animal assisted therapy sessions with students at Calais.

Calais Therapy Dogs

Star
Star Black Labrador Retriever
Star is registered with Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dogs and she has her Canine Good Citizen and Canine Good Citizen Excellence. Star loves to go to school and loves getting to know the staff and students.
Bella
BellaGold Retriever
Bella was born on October 16, 2015. She is certified through Bright & Beautiful Therapy Dogs. Bella loves coming to school and seeing all the students. Her absolute favorite food is bananas, and her favorite toys are stuffed animals.

Dior
DiorRed British Labrador
Dior is the 2023 winner of the Top Instagram Star Spotlight Award for Pet Partners Pet of the Year. He passed the American Kennel Club’s STAR Puppy Test and the AKC’s Canine Good Citizen Test. This busy boy has also taken various training classes for obedience and therapy dog skills.