Study Buddy Puppy
Kimberly Gavin’s emotional support dog, Murphy, creates a positive environment for both students and staff ARTICLE BY AMANDA REBOREDO • PHOTO BY CHLOE LUU • ILLUSTRATIONS & DESIGN BY DAHLIA PAUL
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ocial Science teacher Kimberly energy and enthusiasm is so cute.” “It makes me happy that Ms. Gavin Gavin fondly recalls her trip to Gavin considers Murphy calming can bring a dog to school, and it kind of Boise, Idaho as her favorite trip for both her and the students. When she reminds me of [myself] when I’m walkwith her dog, Murphy. Her parents needs support, she appreciates that he is ing my own dogs at home,” Ryan said. live in Boise, and the two went to visit readily available for her to pet. Ryan believes that having Murphy on during winter break. It was Murphy’s first “He’s really good about helping me campus is helpful to the students who intime seeing the snow, and Gavin noted find my center,” Gavin said. “Overall [he teract with him. how animated Murphy was. He was par- has] a calming presence, and he’s good “A lot of people come up to him and ticularly interested in running around and for other people in my classroom. I have start petting him,” Ryan said. “He really digging his face into the snow because of a whole bunch of students that come up helps boost people’s happiness in a way. how enamored he was, which attests to to him at the start of class.” For me, seeing a dog brings [happy] emohis eccentric and curious personality. tions that I don’t normally feel at school.” Murphy Bear Gavin is a Poodle and Gavin describes Murphy as curious Bichon mix that Gavin adopted on and excited, especially when he is at March 15, 2021 from a friend at her school and interacting with others on church. Aside from being her best campus. friend, Murphy is also an emo“I feel like he wants to be able tional support dog for Gavin. to get to know everybody on camIn order for Murphy to pus, and he’s always trying to be certified as an emotional meet somebody new,” Gavin support dog, Gavin had to said. “[English teacher Kristin] get approval by a counselor Moore has a beanbag chair, outside of UPA to prove she so he’s always jumping on the needed one. The certification beanbag chair to spend time with gets revisited and reviewed her too. And then he runs every every year in order to confirm morning to go see [social studies that the dog is still an emotionteacher Ariana] Rodriguez before al support animal. For Gavin to the start of school.” be able to bring Murphy on camAccording to Mussa, Murphy’s pus, she had to get permission from presence on campus brings a positive Executive Director David Porter. energy to UPA’s environment. Gavin decided to adopt “It just gets you excited and Murphy from a friend at her Murphy with his January BarkBox toy, which is a monthly happy and it definitely makes church not only as an emo- subscription service that supplies dog toys and treats. the learning environment not tional support pet but because stressful,” Mussa said. “Esher family has always had dogs. Growing One of these students is sophomore pecially during quizzes and tests, havup, her family owned a Shih Tzu, a West Amanda Mussa, who is in Gavin’s AP ing Murphy there makes it 10 times less Highland White Terrier and a third dog World History class and sees Murphy stressful.” that they could not figure out the breed of. since Gavin brings him to class everyday. Mussa recalls the time when Gavin Because of this, and the fact that Murphy She describes Murphy’s personality as gave her class an extra point on their is hypoallergenic, Gavin saw him as a that of a student. WHAP quiz because of Murphy. good choice for an emotional support pet. “He’ll be really tired and sleepy and “She brought him [off of the desk] and “My mom loves dogs.” Gavin said. lazy during WHAP,” Mussa said. “But let him walk around a bit,” Mussa said. “She was like, ‘Yeah, I think that Murphy when he’s outside and walking around, “And then he started barking really loudwould be a good fit,’ especially when we he gets super excited. I see this all the ly, and whenever Ms. Gavin would walk were looking at pictures of him.” time [but] whenever Ms. Gavin is walk- over to him, and he would go across the Gavin’s favorite thing about Murphy ing him and he sees people, he gets all room. When she walked over, he’d go is his excitement about life. tangled up around his leash.” across the room and he’d be barking. And “Coming to school, he wags his tail Sophomore Taryn Ryan, a student in we were all laughing, and it made the every single morning, and he’s just so ex- Gavin’s World History class, enjoys see- quiz less stressful, especially after laughcited to be at school,” Gavin said. “His ing Murphy on campus. ing and getting positive energy.” FEATURES | 18
