December 1, 2019
We think this is one of the best ideas of the year, especially if you’re a dog lover.
Dogs have always been known as ‘man’s best friend.’ Now kids have a furry best friend when they go to school in Valparaiso.
Recently, the Valparaiso Community Schools put dogs into every single school. It’s been an instant hit.
“What I’ve seen from our staff and our students, the vibe of the building has been fantastic,” said Nick Slater, Assistant Principal of Ben Franklin Elementary School.
The main goal is to do what puppies do best: simply make people feel better.
“We know that sometimes school can be tough, and we also know that not everybody has an easy day sometimes,” said Slater.
“Everyone knows the power of animals, right? And research has even shown what impact these dogs can have on kids, on staff, on anyone,” said Dr. Julie Lauck, Superintendent.
Dr. Lauck has placed dogs in all 13 Valparaiso Community Schools, thanks to one big litter of English cream golden retrievers and some quick fundraising.
“For a superintendent within four hours to raise $12,000 from their community is pretty amazing,” said Dr. Lauck. “To me, that says a lot about how they support us.”
Zoe comes from a litter of 10 and all of her siblings are working in schools where they’ve clearly reached celebrity status.
Teachers can use Zoe time as a reward or incentive. However, Assistant Principal Slater says her true puppy power is comforting kids, like a little girl too upset for class.
“It was like a switch with that student and just a calming effect came over that student,” said Assistant Principal Slater.
Educators at the school say they know they are lucky, compared to other school districts struggling to fund the basics.
All of the attorneys at Tauber Law Offices have their own children. We believe that in these days of too many scary things happening in our schools, this is an amazing idea to help kids feel more secure. Kudos to the Valparaiso Community Schools
Story and image courtesy: FOX 32, Chicago
