Students at Harrisville Central School District are finding comfort and support in an unlikely source: a 25-pound Lab-Golden mix named Peanut. The two-and-a-half-year-old pup joined the school as its first therapy dog in December.
Peanut was added to the elementary school counseling program, primarily serving students in pre-K through fourth grade. Elementary School Counselor Andrea Heller is Peanut’s owner. Heller adopted Peanut when she was about 14 weeks old from an animal rescue organization in Pennsylvania.
“When I realized how calm and gentle Peanut was, even as a puppy, I felt she would make a good therapy dog and began her training,” Heller said.
The Alliance of Therapy Dogs certified both Heller and Peanut as a pet therapy team after they attended group classes and individual training sessions with Michaela Lawton at Mountainside K9 Dog Training in Rensselaer Falls. Peanut has earned both the American Kennel Club (AKC) Canine Good Citizen and Community Canine titles, demonstrating her good manners and advanced training.
As part of Harrisville’s new Therapy Dog Program, Peanut provides emotional support to students, positively impacting their emotional functioning and overall mood.
“I believe that spending time with animals has a positive effect on mental health,” Heller said. “I have been interested in animal-assisted interventions for a long time.”
Academic researchers have found that utilizing therapy dogs in school settings enhances students’ social-emotional and academic growth. It can also decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression.
“My favorite story about Peanut is when a student was crying in my office, and she crawled over to them and laid her head in their lap,” Heller said. “She really helped to calm the student down.”
Peanut has had a similar effect on other students who’ve visited Heller’s office.
“Students leave with an improved mood and greater ability to focus on learning after interacting with Peanut,” Heller said.
While Peanut primarily works with younger students, some middle and high school students stop by to visit her. Groups of fifth and sixth graders can also schedule periodic visits during a portion of their lunch periods.
Peanut loves working with students individually or in small groups. Heller plans to continue training with Peanut to improve her comfort level and confidence in larger groups. With increased confidence, Peanut will be able to expand her classroom visits in the future.
If you have any questions about Harrisville’s Therapy Dog Program, please contact Andrea Heller at aheller@hcsk12.org.