Community Invited to Participate in Therapy Dog Focus Group

Purdue University is conducting a research study, “Community perspectives of the integration of a crisis support canine for the City of Crawfordsville Mobile Integrated Health Department” (IRB# 2025-303), to explore community perspectives on integrating a crisis support canine into the City of Crawfordsville’s Mobile Integrated Health Department. The study, led by Dr. Leanne Nieforth from the Department of Comparative Pathobiology, seeks to gather insights from Montgomery County residents and stakeholders regarding the potential impact of a therapy dog in crisis intervention efforts.

The study will involve focus groups where participants can share their thoughts about the implementation of a crisis intervention canine both before and one year after the dog’s integration into the department. Each focus group session will last between 1 to 1.5 hours, with a total study duration of 2 to 3 hours.

Two sessions will be available for participation for Part 1 of the study:

• Wednesday, April 23rd at 5:30 PM via Zoom
• Thursday, April 24th at 12:00 PM at the Montgomery County Youth Service Bureau, 808 W. Pike St., Crawfordsville, IN 47933

“This is an exciting opportunity for community members to contribute their perspectives on how a therapy dog might enhance crisis response efforts to benefit our community,” said Olyvia Wood, Quick Response Team Licensed Social Worker and future handler of the therapy dog. 

Participation in the study is voluntary, and all interested individuals must be at least 18 years old and residents of Montgomery County. While there is no monetary compensation for participation, the study’s findings could contribute to improved crisis intervention strategies and provide valuable insights for future research on therapy dogs in emergency response settings.

To ensure confidentiality, focus groups will be audio recorded and transcribed without identifying information. The recordings will be securely stored and destroyed after transcription and verification. Although researchers will take every precaution to protect participants’ privacy, confidentiality in a focus group setting cannot be fully guaranteed.

Community members who are interested in participating or would like more information about the study can contact Dr. Leanne Nieforth at (765) 494-7472 or via email at [email protected]. Additional information about research participation rights can be obtained from Purdue’s Human Research Protection Program at (765) 494-5942 or [email protected].