Each week, during the school year, Peggy Eischen assigns one of the Pets on Wheels volunteer-pet teams to visit the Life Skills classes at Coronado High School, and at two classes at Sunrise Middle School. The team visits two or three small classes of developmentally challenged youngsters, aggregating about 15 students. The young people are 15 to 21 years old, but are more like 2-year olds, and even limited in many ways for that age. Visits started at Courtney's Foundation during February 2009. This special school is for Life Skills students over the age of 21, no longer eligible for the public school classes.

Since December 2003 such volunteer-pet teams have alternated their weekly visits to nursing homes, with visits to these very special children. A volunteer will take her dog to the classes for about an hour, allowing the children to pet and sometimes brush the dog. Some of the children have to overcome their fear of the animal, which sometimes takes three to six visits. A definite change in the student’s attitude about the dog takes place in just about every case. It is another lesson in life, for them. Above, Bonnie Barclay and her Golden Retriever, Buddy, are providing some quality time.

The Life Skills Project is ancillary to regular health care center visits. Special dogs are selected to avoid possible injury and to be most trustworthy with young people and sometimes unpredictable movements. Over 1,200 volunteers of Pets on Wheels of Scottsdale have shared their pet’s love with special citizens of Scottsdale since 1990.

Life Skills student learning to brush Gail Harrison's Portuguese Water Dog, Toby (now deceased).