Pet Guests in Guidance
At Assumption, we do not have one designated school dog. What we do have is something very different— we offer a variety pack. We bring in a rotating pack of trained pet guests to spend a day in our Guidance and Counseling Center. We host big dogs, little dogs, medium dogs, rescue dogs, shelter dogs, dogs from breeders, puppies, and older dogs.
How did this variety pack approach start?
Several years ago, we brought in WAGS therapy dogs for students as a meet and greet during exam week. Having a variety of big and small dogs and dogs of varying breeds proved so pupular that we decided to continue to bring in a variety of dogs. We want to be very mindful of students who may have anxiety about big dogs, little dogs, or specific dog breeds. Because we host the dogs in the Guidance and Counseling Center, students voluntarily choose to interact with our pet guests. That way, if a student has a fear of dogs, she can go her whole school day without seeing the dog. We feel like we have the ultimutt pet guests and love seeing the warm welcome our visiting dogs receive. Our students receive an e-mail pupdate when the pet guests are coming and know in advance when a dog will be present in the Guidance and Counseling Center.
