Therapy Dog Welcomes Students
May 26, 2020
STUDENTS across Victoria are packing their school bags for the first time in months and heading back to classrooms today.
Most will have to leave parents and pets at home, however a lucky group of primary school children at Gippsland Grammar will be welcomed on campus by the wagging tail of Wilson, the school’s resident comfort dog.
“You cannot underestimate the emotions of our young people and how they are feeling as they return to school after learning from home for such a length of time,” said Gippsland Grammar’s head of Bairnsdale campus, Virginia Evans.
“With the return to school, we are doing everything to provide a safe and happy environment for our students and we want our families to feel a great sense of belonging and familiarity as they arrive.
“Wilson is an integral part of our community and provides not only comfort, but enjoyment … the children absolutely love him.”
The 15-month-old Golden Retriever is owned by Gippsland Grammar Foundation teacher Libby Crowe.Early in Wilson’s training it was identified that his temperament was suited to being a therapy dog.
School therapy dogs provide comfort and support to children and teachers; helping lower anxiety, increase empathy and decrease the incidence of bullying.
While Wilson’s training is a bit behind schedule because of COVID-19 he still managed to be part of the children’s learning during the school’s remote learning program.
Mrs Crowe and Wilson connected with students using video conferencing technology to share books every day during story time.
Gippsland Grammar students in its Early Learning Centre, Foundation, Year 1 and Year 2 classes return to the Bairnsdale campus today, while Year 11 and 12, VCE and VCAL students return to the Garnsey Campus, in Sale. All other students will return to school on June 9.
Most Recent News
Former Victoria man’s diabetic alert dog helps him get back to life
When Luke Hengen’s diabetes worsened in his early twenties, it stripped him of the outdoor activities where the country kid felt at home. Countless wilderness adventures and years of hard-fought football games took a toll on his body, to the point where he could no longer sense when his blood sugar was too high or […]
Students Get Therapy Dog
When middle school students return to class on Jan. 11, they’ll find a new face at the door: Daisy. Daisy is a therapy dog and the personal pet of Rob Kreger, principal of the Rock L. Butler Middle School. The five-year-old golden retriever is not a school pet or mascot, but rather a working dog […]
Therapy Dogtor
Last March, Caroline Benzel, a third-year medical student, began to notice the stress and discomfort her nurse friends were feeling from the pressures of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. “[Personal protective equipment] can be really rough on the skin,” Benzel, 31, tells PEOPLE. Benzel and her 3-year-old Rottweiler, Loki (who’s also a therapy dog) hatched a […]
Therapy Dog Pups
When Stanley the miniature fox terrier’s owner passed away, the little dog started a ‘paw-some’ new role – bringing puppy love to some of the Gold Coast’s oldest residents. After Carinity Cedarbrook Diversional Therapist Julianne Staff adopted Stanley, he began visiting the aged care community at Mudgeeraba as a therapy dog. Therapy dogs help to […]
Puppy Cams
A nonprofit is providing an unusual form of therapy for those on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic – puppy cams! “You spend five minutes with a puppy and try not to smile,” said registered nurse Robin Lingg Lagrone. Lingg Lagrone says watching little furballs wag their tails and prance on their paws helps […]
Pet Committee
When Moore County’s school doors were abruptly closed earlier in 2020, two- and four-legged volunteers from the Moore County Citizens’ Pet Responsibility Committee (PRC) were in their 12th year of presenting a six-session Pet Responsibility Education Program for fourth-graders. The PRC quickly shifted gears and placed its program materials online as part of a home […]