A day that begins like any other will change the trajectory of Karen Storey’s life and the lives of so many others forever.
When a service dog named Ivan escorts a teacher with Parkinson’s disease to a Michigan school where Storey works as a special education teacher, she notices how many students are captivated by the teacher’s canine assistant. .
Although Ivan was at work and was not allowed to interact with the children, Storey could see that the children had a spontaneous connection to the dog. Storey, who also operates the Multi-Stage Support System (MTSS) for Brighton Area Schools (BAS), knows well the importance of supporting children from many different perspectives.
“At that point, I knew I had to find a way to get a dog into our school,” says Storey.
Storey approached the superintendent, Dr. Greg Grey, with the idea of developing a dog-centered emotional support system across schools. Storey was immediately given the green light, and as a result, Brighton became first public school district in Michigan with her very own emotional therapy dogs — BAS The Social Emotional Learning Pack.
Team leader: BAS Pack of Dogs founder Karen Storey with the Bronx (left) and Chevy. Courtesy of Karen Storey
Forming the package
The show started forming in 2006 with Caesar, a black man Laboratorythe first dog to pilot the program. Caesar retires in 2019and passed away in 2021, having helped countless children and paved the way for all the dogs that would follow him.
A total of 16 dogs have served in the district since the program was established, and there is now at least one dedicated dog at each of the nine schools in the area.
Alley, Keeper, and Jack hang out in high school and Martha in high school instead. The high school dogs’ names are Ford and Tucker, and Duncan shows Hope the ropes in middle school. Additionally, Scout, Buckley, Oliver, and Shadow spend the day with the elementary school kids, and Henry helps out at the Senior Center/Tot Spot. Chevy walked between buildings visiting wherever the kids needed him most. The newest addition to the pack is the Bronx, an adorable one yellow lab Therapy for the dog in training, will one day travel between buildings with Chevy.
The Bronx is a sleepy puppy after cheering on some of his favorite players. Courtesy of Karen Storey
The new dogs join the pack at eight weeks old and are trained by a local therapy dog training nonprofit for the next year in preparation for the big job they will one day do.
While Labrador Retrievers, known for intelligent, gentle dogswere the first BAS dogs, other gentle, well-trained breeds (such as Henry, Australian Shepherd and Tucker, Miniature Goldendoodle) to join the pack.
In addition to providing friendships for the children during school hours, the dogs also participate in community and extracurricular activities, such as walking in the hometown parade, cheering on their athletes. school in games and participate in charity events for causes against multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s and Cancer. (Duncan, below, even raced with his driver for the Michigan Special Olympics and Ainsley’s Angels.)
Duncan said, “Hey Hope! There’s also room for you up here! ” Courtesy of Karen Storey
Dogs in the hardest days
The dogs have many jobs, but the most meaningful is helping the students with their love. Dogs help struggling kids in ways that don’t need words. Instinctively, they are often around children who are struggling, although everyone is welcome to spend time with them. And no job is too big for the team.
In 2018, Duncan, a yellow Lab and the second dog to join the pack, were called upon to help students deal with a traumatic event — the death of a classmate and band member. . Duncan spent the rest of the school year in the band room just to be there and support his friends.
More recently, following a school shooting in a neighboring community, the dogs spent 10 days at the nearby Oxford Middle School to help ease the fear of students going back to school. . Now there is an online campaign for Oxford Community Schools to start their own therapy dog programme.
Storey says the benefits of having dogs in schools are so obvious, that districts around the country have turned to her for help. Storey even founded a non-profit, 4 Pawz Strongto help other schools establish their own therapy dog programs.
The kids at Oxford High School love spending time with Duncan. Courtesy of Karen Storey
A support system away from home
The comfort and connection that dogs bring to students is evident from the moment the dogs arrive at school in the morning.
Mornings can be difficult as children transition from being at home to being at school. But when Duncan arrives with his manager, two of Duncan’s special friends, Piper and Shelby, arrive before class to make sure he’s ready for the day. They make sure he has fresh water and food, that he enjoys his morning walk and has everything he needs to start the day right.
Due to their time with the dogs, Piper and Shelby enjoy going to school and even become friends.
Shelby explains, “I’ve had issues with anxiety, and dogs have helped me befriend dogs and human friends.” Piper was very nervous and full of fear every day before going to school. The dogs have helped her cope and now whenever she feels sad or worried she will spend time with them until she feels better. She said, “I didn’t want to go to school and the dogs gave me a reason to want to go.”
Good friends Shelby and Piper love to visit with dogs like Duncan and Chevy, pictured here. Courtesy of Karen Storey
Studies show that dogs can help children deal with difficult emotions, including depression and anxiety. But Storey says the dogs help the kids more than that.
“The most important thing is connection,” says Storey. “Kids who may never talk to each other will have an immediate connection when the dog is there. They can talk about their own dog at home, or share a story about a dog they saw on a walk, or even open up about something personal. “
Mia loves spending time with her friend Chevy. Courtesy of Karen Storey
A 6th grader named Mia shared how much dogs help her. She has experienced a devastating tragedy in her life and the dogs are her support system away from home. “Whenever I feel down, the dogs will sit on my lap and hug me,” she says.
Dog Days, Dog Nights
The dogs absorb all that is around them and are exhausted by the end of the school day, around 3:30pm
After a long day, the dogs come home to their owners to spend their evenings as family pets. The handlers are teachers, paraprofessionals and administrators, who also provide houses for the dogs. Sponsors donate all veterinary care, food and supplies so that the host family does not bear any of the costs associated with the program and can focus on creating an environment Special family for these adorable puppies.
Tucker was completely exhausted at the end of the day. Courtesy of Karen Storey
Dogs make everything better
Being a young adult is tough in a world that can be confusing and painful.
But when one of your classmates is a dog, there will always be a furry friend by your side who won’t care about things like social media or popularity. They will just be there to be friends, foster emotional connections, and provide unconditional love.
It was something Storey had seen many times. “The moment the dogs come into the room, the kids just feel better. They can help turn a bad day around just by being there. “
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