On May 13, 2025, the Edison Ballroom in New York City transformed into a joyful gathering of therapy dogs, their handlers, and supporters of The Good Dog Foundation. The occasion marked the organization’s annual gala, an event that raised nearly a quarter of its yearly budget to expand its vital work across the Greater New York / Tri-State area.

Recognizing the Power of Animal-Assisted Therapy

The evening celebrated the life-changing impact of therapy dog visits with the presentation of the Annual Healing Awards. Honorees included:

• The Juilliard School: For using therapy dogs to comfort students and staff during high-stress periods such as rehearsals and final exams.
• Ulster Regional Drug Treatment Court: For supporting individuals in addiction recovery through animal-assisted emotional support.
• Barclays: For integrating therapy dog visits into its employee wellness programs, enhancing workplace morale.

A short film, Dogs Who Save The World, showcased the profound effects of these partnerships.

Addressing the Rising Demand for Mental Health Support

According to Bruce Fagin, Executive Director and Chief Advancement Officer of The Good Dog Foundation, the organization currently supports more than 100,000 people annually across 300 partner facilities—including hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and businesses. However, the demand for therapy dog teams continues to grow in response to rising anxiety and depression rates, especially among young adults.

To meet the increasing need, the foundation has launched a summer fundraising campaign aimed at doubling its therapy dog corps. Each new team requires approximately $1,000 for recruitment, training, certification, deployment, and essential liability insurance—highlighting a key intersection between therapy work and the insurance industry.

Therapy Dogs in the Workplace and Beyond

Corporate settings are increasingly turning to therapy dog programs to bolster employee well-being. Barclays’ Managing Director, Betty Gee, emphasized the effectiveness of these visits in easing workplace stress, calling them “an immediate, easy-to-implement solution.”

Scientific research backs these outcomes. Rachel McPherson, the foundation’s Founding President and Chief Science Officer, notes that therapy dogs stimulate oxytocin release—a hormone linked to trust, stress relief, and social bonding. These benefits extend from hospitals and schools to corporate environments, demonstrating the broad applicability of therapy animals in stress mitigation and productivity enhancement.

Highlights from the Gala

Guests experienced firsthand the joy that therapy dogs bring through "Therapy Dog Love Sessions," enjoyed a live jazz performance by Juilliard musicians, and participated in live and silent auctions. The positive energy of the evening was so infectious that guests lingered until closing time.

The Good Dog Foundation is recognized globally for its leadership in animal-assisted therapy. For organizations — whether educational, medical, or corporate — considering therapy dog programs, it's essential to plan for the appropriate risk management and liability insurance to support safe, effective implementation.

For more information or press inquiries: Info@TheGoodDogFoundation.org.

Adidas has announced (May 23, 2025) that it was the target of a recent cyber attack resulting in the theft of customer data. According to a statement posted on the company’s website, criminals gained access to “certain consumer data,” primarily consisting of the contact information of individuals who had interacted with Adidas’ help desk.

The global sportswear brand emphasized that no passwords, credit card information, or other payment data were compromised in the breach. "We remain fully committed to protecting the privacy and security of our consumers, and sincerely regret any inconvenience or concern caused by this incident,” the company stated.

Adidas has taken immediate steps to contain the breach and has launched a comprehensive investigation, enlisting the support of leading information security experts. The company also noted that it is in the process of informing potentially affected customers and has notified relevant data protection and law enforcement authorities in accordance with applicable laws.

Lisa Barber from consumer advocacy group Which? urged Adidas to keep consumers informed with timely updates. She advised affected individuals to monitor bank accounts and credit reports for suspicious activity and to be cautious of unsolicited phone calls, emails, or messages that could be scams exploiting the breach.

The attack on Adidas comes amid a broader surge in cyberattacks targeting major retailers. Marks & Spencer (M&S), Co-op, and Harrods have all recently experienced significant breaches, some of which severely impacted their operations. Authorities are investigating the possibility that an English-speaking hacker group known as Scattered Spider may be behind those incidents. M&S, in particular, has estimated a loss of approximately £300 million due to the attack, about a third of its annual profit.

Adidas has not indicated any operational disruptions resulting from the breach, and there is no evidence linking the attack to the Scattered Spider group. However, the company did previously disclose other data breaches involving its operations in Turkey and South Korea.

The incident underscores the growing cybersecurity threats facing global brands and the importance of robust data protection measures for both companies and consumers.

A recent study — Performance of IBHS FORTIFIED Home Construction in Hurricane Sally, conducted by the Alabama Department of Insurance and the Center for Risk and Insurance Research at the University of Alabama — provides new evidence supporting the use of climate-resilient construction methods to reduce storm-related damage. The analysis examined insurance claims related to Hurricane Sally, which made landfall on the Alabama coast in 2020 with wind speeds reaching up to 105 miles per hour, and found that homes built or retrofitted to Fortified standards experienced significantly better outcomes.

Key Findings on Fortified Construction

The study focused on homes built or retrofitted to meet Fortified standards — a set of voluntary construction guidelines developed by the nonprofit Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS). These standards are designed to mitigate wind and rain damage through structural improvements such as upgraded roof fasteners, impact-rated doors and windows, and stronger wall-to-foundation connections. The Fortified program includes three designation levels: Roof, Silver, and Gold.

Data collected from over 40,000 homes with a combined insured value of $17 billion revealed that Fortified homes experienced significantly fewer and less severe insurance claims. Specifically, the study found:

• Claim frequency reduction: 55% to 74%, depending on designation level
• Loss severity reduction: 14% to 40%
• Claim representation: Although Fortified homes made up nearly a quarter of the policies studied, they accounted for only 9% of total claims

The researchers concluded that, had all affected homes in Mobile and Baldwin counties met Fortified standards, insurers could have reduced payouts by up to 75%, saving approximately $112 million. Homeowners could have saved up to $35 million in deductibles — a 65% reduction.

Implementation in Alabama

Alabama began exploring resilience strategies following Hurricane Ivan in 2004. In response, the state enacted two major initiatives:

• Mandatory minimum insurance discounts for Fortified homes, with potential savings of up to 50% on the wind portion of homeowners’ premiums
• The Strengthen Alabama Homes grant program, which has awarded $86 million since 2015 to support 8,700 home retrofits

These initiatives have led to widespread adoption of Fortified standards, with over 53,000 Fortified-designated homes now in Alabama, out of 80,000 nationwide.

Broader Impact and Interest

The Fortified approach is being used not only by individual homeowners but also by disaster recovery nonprofits such as Habitat for Humanity, Team Rubicon, and SBP. These organizations have implemented the standards in rebuilding projects across nine states, often with funding support from insurance companies.

Though the Fortified upgrades add costs, ranging from 0.5% to 3% for new construction and 6% to 16% for retrofits, the study highlights long-term financial benefits. It also notes that Fortified does not address all types of storm damage; nearly half the claims analyzed were due to fallen trees, which require separate mitigation strategies.

Looking Ahead

Alabama is expanding its grant program to three additional counties this year. State Insurance Commissioner Mark Fowler stated that the program has helped stabilize the insurance market and hopes it will encourage more insurers to offer wind coverage in coastal areas. He also recently spoke in support of California’s proposed Safe Homes Act, which would provide grants for wildfire-resistant upgrades.

Fowler emphasized a proactive approach to natural disasters: “You must find ways to build stronger before the event so you will have less damage after the event.”