Sometimes, helping a student through a hard time doesn’t take many words. Sometimes, it just takes Gus, a therapy dog who has worked with students over the past decade.
Gus works alongside Breanna Harding, Speech-Language Pathologist at Loftus Early Childhood Center, spending his days helping students communicate, regulate their emotions, and just making them smile.
Their story together began when Harding was at Parkview Elementary and decided she wanted a therapy dog to join her at work with her students.
“I thought it would be amazing for the children that I take to therapy to have a dog to talk to, read to, just sit with, and make school a happy place for them,” Harding said.
After obedience training, Gus passed his Canine Good Citizen test and later completed testing
through Alliance of Therapy Dogs.
Ten years later, Gus still loves coming to school. Students recognize him in the hallways and
call him over for a quick pet. He joins Harding during speech and language therapy, where students practice skills while sitting beside him. Harding also shares that she has found that some students who are reluctant to speak become more comfortable talking while petting Gus.
His impact can even be seen in students who knew him years ago. Harding said CTC students in SFCC early childhood classes, now juniors and seniors in high school, still recognize Gus from their elementary years at Parkview.
“Their faces still light up when they see him,” Harding said.
Loftus teacher Lisa Everhart has welcomed Gus into her classroom for the past five years and has watched students learn from him in another way.
“He teaches the students how to be gentle and kind,” Everhart said. “Even the students who aren’t used to being around dogs learn what a ‘gentleman’ and gentle giant he truly is. We all love Gus!”
“I see him being most helpful when students are upset, either mad or sad,” said Harding, who also is referred to as “Gus’s mom” by the students. “I will bring Gus around and it's just enough of a distraction from what they were upset about to make them smile.”
Harding has found students sitting in the hallway, too upset to transition to their next classroom. Sometimes, an offer to walk Gus is all it takes to get them back up. “It doesn’t work every time, but it does most of the time,” she said.
Gus has become just as loved by staff. Tracy Siegel, school social worker, keeps treats in her office, and Gus knows exactly where to find them.
“Gus brightens everyone’s day,” Siegel said. “Gus is so patient and doesn’t mind at all when he is surrounded by children loving on him.”
At 10 years old, Gus gets a little more rest between his school days, but Harding says his love for people hasn’t changed. “He always acts like he’s been waiting all day to see you,” Harding said.
Gus isn’t just Harding’s dog. “This is ‘our’ pet,” she said. “We all love him and have a connection with him, and it helps us connect with each other.”
Release courtesy of Sedalia 200.
