A shift from River to Ember

A few years ago, Toby Bangar, a community dog owner and parent stepped forward with the proposal to bring her two dogs to school at lunch. The idea was propelled with the intent to relieve stress and calm students down during finals. SPHS Social Worker Natasha Prime assisted in coordinating approval from admin.

Despite not being trained for therapy, the dogs became a huge hit. Then, the pandemic slammed the brakes on lunch visits. This year, a guide dog in training, River, has started the visits again every Monday at lunch. Students on break or walking around campus in their free time have the opportunity to pet or interact with a therapy dog.

“It’s not really organized or official, and that’s what is kind of cool about this community. It’s like, ‘Oh, there’s a parent who has a therapy dog and she wants to bring the dog to school at lunch to make the students feel good,’” Prime said.

Bangar has already received the next puppy in training, Ember. For the majority of her guide dog training, Ember will become one of the main therapy dogs for SPHS. It will take up to three months for Ember to become situated and trained for a school setting.

One appeal of the therapy dog is evident by the positive presence it has on the community. According to a study conducted by the National Library of Medicine, the presence of dogs in college campuses can reduce psychological stresses.

Therapy dogs are not just at SPHS. La Cañada High School has a therapy dog at their wellness center. Universities and schools nationwide have had therapy dogs since animal therapy research began in the 1960s. The studies and school implementations prove the usefulness of having therapy dogs on campus.

“I think it’s being recognized more and more as a thing. I think as long as we have community members who have dogs and are willing to come I can see it continuing,” Prime said.

The Tiger Established

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