Therapy dogs visit Wells Road students

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By Anna Forlenza-Bailey

Every Monday and Friday selected students at Wells Road Intermediate School get to visit with a therapy dog. According to the Bright Spot website, “Therapy dogs are unique. Successful therapy dogs possess good manners but need to know more than sit, stay, and come. They require additional socialization to work despite constant distractions. They must appear receptive, confident and steady in settings where most dogs never venture.” The canine visitors certainly live up to this reputation.
As part of the Bright Spot Buddy and Love on a Leash programs, students visiting with the dogs are expected to bring schoolwork, such as a writing assignment, a book, or a math paper. Students then read and talk to the dogs about their schoolwork. All of the visiting dogs are certified, have good temperament, are well groomed, and know the basic commands of sit, down, stay, and heel.

Thanks to Sally King, Karyn Cordner, and Laura Bauver for coordinating the weekly visits that one student describes as “awesome” and shared, “I like their company and the owners because they are both nice and I usually get to just chat with the dogs!”