News / Press

For Immediate Release October 10, 2026

Area Cooperative Educational Services (ACES) is proud to welcome Hana, a highly trained facility dog donated by the nonprofit organization Puppies Behind Bars. Hana will be based at ACES Whitney High School North, becoming the third facility dog to join ACES and further expanding the agency’s commitment to student wellness, emotional support, positive connections, and safe and supportive learning environments.

Hana will work alongside her handler, ACES School Psychologist Susan Barnshaw, providing comfort, connection, and encouragement to students and staff throughout the school day. As part of the Whitney North community, Hana’s calm and reassuring presence can help students reduce stress, regulate emotions, build confidence, and feel more comfortable engaging with school professionals and participating in learning.

Before beginning their work together, Ms. Barnshaw and Hana completed an intensive 14-day team-training program through Puppies Behind Bars, graduating on August 3, 2026. The training prepared Ms. Barnshaw and Hana to work together as a team and to respond appropriately to the individual emotional and educational needs of the students they serve.

Hana completed approximately 10,000 hours of professional training and socialization through Puppies Behind Bars, a nationally recognized nonprofit organization that trains service and facility dogs through a unique program pairing incarcerated individuals with professional dog trainers. Through this extensive preparation, facility dogs like Hana develop the skills and temperament needed to provide meaningful support in schools and other community settings.

Hana joins Heidi and Lily, ACES’ first two facility dogs from Puppies Behind Bars, extending a program that has continued to grow across the agency. Heidi joined ACES in December 2025 and works alongside ACES School Safety Officer Rich Simons through the ACES Center for School Safety & Wellness. Her role combines wellness and school safety, helping build positive relationships among students, staff, school professionals, and members of the communities ACES serves.

Lily later became ACES’ second Puppies Behind Bars facility dog and works alongside ACES school social worker Kim Roche at Bassett Road School. Lily provides another avenue for students to connect, communicate, and receive emotional support within the school environment.

With Hana now joining the ACES family, the three facility-dog teams broaden the ways ACES can support students and staff. While each dog and handler has a primary role and setting, together Hana, Heidi, and Lily represent a shared approach centered on building trust, strengthening relationships, reducing anxiety, and creating environments where students feel safe, supported, and ready to learn.

Hana’s primary assignment will be serving students and staff at ACES Whitney North. When appropriate, she may also join Heidi and Lily at selected ACES programs, agency events, and community activities, extending the benefits of the facility-dog program beyond an individual school.

The addition of Hana marks another important step in the continued development of the ACES facility-dog program. Through their presence in classrooms, counseling spaces, school activities, and community programs, Hana, Heidi, and Lily can create meaningful opportunities for connection while bringing comfort and joy to the students and staff they serve.

Together, ACES’ three facility-dog teams demonstrate the agency’s continued commitment to innovative approaches that strengthen school communities and place student wellness at the center of learning.