Photo by Gurnoor Sodhi

Freshman Manasa Iyer plays with therapy dogs Cheddar and Brie during advisory on Mar. 14 in room 181, as the opportunity opened up to the students for the first time this year. “They were all very interactive with the dogs and playing with them. Overall, I enjoyed watching them play and it was a really good reaction,” SGA member Tati Pacheco said.

For about 60 years, scientists have noticed an increased bond between humans and animals and thus, started including them in certain settings such as hospitals. In schools, too, it is said that these canine interactions help with reducing students’ stress levels, enhancing focus and improving motivation. After the COVID-19 pandemic, a rise in requests for therapy dogs has been seen at Montgomery County schools, and they are now making frequent visits to this school.

Pets on Wheels is a non-profit organization that brings therapy dogs on visits all around Maryland and specifically to this school. The idea was brought forward to add Wootton into the mix of schools that would like therapy dogs to provide a sense of stress relief and comfort for students. After two years, a sponsor, Deanie Hotchkiss, reached out to senior SGA member Tati Pacheco to work with the school. “I worked with Deenie and exchanged emails to make sure things worked smoothly,” Pacheco said.

Although the administration was supportive of the therapy dogs idea, there were hoops to jump through to ensure that the dogs and the program could be provided to students. The initial thought was to have it for the entire student body, but ultimately, SGA decided to start smaller with the special needs program first. “The student had persisted through a variety of requirements, questions, and meetings and stuck with the effort it takes to get them,” SGA staff sponsor Amy Buckingham said.

So far the therapy dogs, named Cheddar and Brie, have visited the school twice and have met with the special education department both times as a way for the students to have a more relaxed day. They recently made their first public debut to the entire student body on Mar. 14 for SGA’s annual spring project. Students were able to visit them in the SGA room, room 181, during advisory and lunch by signing up for a 15-minute slot on a pre-sent link. “In the future, we’ll probably have them come about two times a month, so one day for the special education students and one day for everyone else once a month,” Pacheco said.

Overall, the reactions to the dogs have been positive throughout the school. Teachers and students alike enjoyed the presence of the dogs and there has been a special appreciation for the dogs within the special needs department. “They loved seeing the therapy dogs and getting to interact with them,” SGA member Jilli Nalibotsky said. “The students were able to walk around and watch the dogs and they really enjoyed it as well as the teachers.”

However, the introduction of these dogs comes with challenges. Students may have allergies to dogs or a general fear of dogs, either of which may cause them to feel unsafe in the school environment. “There’s room for growth,” Buckingham said. “I want to be careful to recognize both sides. It would be great if we could expand it so it doesn’t negatively impact those kids. [We need] more interactions outside and to advertise it well so those afraid don’t have to see them.”