Therapy dog lends helping paw to Eugene students
By Laura RillosEUGENE, Ore. -- If you walk the halls of Meadowlark Elementary School, chances are you'll run into Chancey. The 10-year-old Border Collie mix isn't the school mascot, though. He's a licensed service dog, belonging to the school's office manager, Jan Hahn. "He's soft and he's gentle and he doesn't really run from me when I try giving him a hug," said Katie Testi, a third grade student who is among the crowd of kids who visit the dog in Hahn's office each day. "Chancey time" is a reward for good behavior. School staff will also send a student for "Chancey time" to soothe emotional or behavioral problems. "We had a child who would ban his head against the wall, so we knew he needed Chancey time," said Hahn. "So he'd spend five minutes just pettting Chancey and then he'd be ready to go back to work in the classroom successfully." Because the Eugene 4J School District has a policy that only allows service animals in school buildings, Chancey took a six week program to become Hahn's licensed service dog. |
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