Ten-year-old Aiden Richardson sat on the floor at Carbondale Area Elementary School. Sansa soon joined him.
When Aiden needs a bit of comfort, he turns to the four-legged service provider. The 4-year-old yellow Lab, part of a growing number of service and therapy dogs in the region’s schools, provides assistance to students who may feel anxious, stressed or just need to feel the happiness that giving a scratch behind the ears can provide.
“She's awesome, and she helps people,” Aiden said. “And she helped me through a lot too.”
Schools have increased mental health services since the COVID-19 pandemic began more than four years ago. Counselors reported higher rates of anxiety and depression when schools went virtual, and awareness of mental health continues to grow. Research shows the benefits of being around a dog, including lowering the stress hormone cortisol.
In Carbondale, counselor Ann Vadella takes Sansa home during the week, and Gabrielle Pidgeon, career coordinator at the high school, has custody on the weekends. Both received training through Susquehanna Service Dogs, which matched the school with Sansa.
When Sansa arrives in the morning, she often waits for students who may have separation anxiety and have trouble coming into the building.
“We'll set up a system where they'll come in and spend some time with her, and then they'll get to walk her to class,” Vadella said. “So it makes it a little bit easier. Then she'll go into class with them, help them get situated. And then we'll go and check on them a little bit later.”
When a student died earlier this year, Sansa spent extended periods of time with his classmates, Vadella said.
Some schools have therapy dogs who visit once a week or a couple times a month. It’s not as common for dogs to be in school or on campus daily. The schools seek grants, raise funds and must find a handler willing to take the dog home at night.
Digger, a Bernese Mountain Dog, works as a therapy dog through Bucknell University’s public safety department. Sunny, an English goldendoodle, meets daily with students at Tunkhannock Intermediate Center.
Sunny wears a school ID on her therapy dog vest, and rests on a couch inside counselor Kate Krispin’s office. A sign next to the door says “Sunny is in.”
The 2-year-old helps calm students and helps them when they feel overwhelmed.
“Sometimes I'll take her to the greens out here on the campus and we will play catch or we'll go for a walk with the students,” Krispin said. “Sometimes doing that it's just refocusing, grounding, and Sunny loves it … really her main role here is to provide comfort and she's incredibly helpful with building rapport.”
When seventh grader Allison Swartwood feels stressed, she seeks comfort from Sunny. On a recent morning in Krispin’s office, Sunny put her head in Allison’s lap.
“She helps with me being anxious,” the 13-year-old said. “She helps me calm down, and she’s just there.”
Seventh-grader Nora Sobeck often takes Sunny for walks.
“She's nice to pet,” the 12-year-old said. “You can talk to her whenever you want to, and she's just really sweet.”
