Facility dog boosts student mental health at Lawrence North High School
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — As school districts focus on students’ mental health, working school pets are becoming a more popular option to integrate into daily school life.
The Indiana Canine Assistant Network (ICAN) trains school facility dogs, and many of their students have hit the halls of several Indiana schools, including Nugget.
Nugget is well-known in the Lawrence Township school district. She is the facility assistance dog at Lawrence North High School, and has had a major impact on both students and staff.
There’s no doubt Nugget is good at her job. From walking the halls, to test support, and even a “brain break” for students when showing off her tricks, it is clear Nugget is needed.
Karen Tuttle has been a math teacher for 27 years, but says the idea of a school facility dog is a new concept that she has quickly become accustomed to.
“If she’s not here, the kids are like, ‘Where’s Nugget? Where’s Nugget? Can you go get Nugget?’ Like, she is the biggest deal in the school and everyone is just so happy to have her around,” Tuttle said. “I go get her every morning so she goes to all of our math meetings with us and she’s so excited to see every single person. And she just brings such a light to all the meetings and is just such a joy.”
Christopher Gogins is a junior at the school and used to be afraid of dogs. Now, he walks Nugget whenever he can.
Connie Sivertson is Nugget’s official caretaker. She’s also the director of school counseling at Lawrence North High School and can’t stress enough how good Nugget has been for students.
“She’s amazing and she’s got a big fan club and everybody knows Nugget because she’s just like, she’s just the best,”Sivertson said. “To see her in action, whether it’s a really stressful time or kids are just excited to see her, she is amazing at what she does.”
Nugget started working at the school in January of 2020. Since the pandemic, her position has become vital.
“I don’t know if we’ll ever know the full scope of how important that was. But her presence was exceptionally well-timed. She really was a safe space for kids when things felt really kind of unpredictable,” Sivertson said.
The school raised $2,500 to buy Nugget from ICAN. A parent veterinarian keeps her healthy, and while she doesn’t live at the school, students and staff can check her out, walk her, and help her do her daily job. Her friendly nature is how she earned her title.
“Nugget was actually in training to be a service dog, so, she’s super smart, she knows a million cues, but she failed out of service dog training. They say she had a career change because she is too friendly,” Sivertson said.
According to ICAN, facility dogs are trained service dogs that work with professionals who incorporate the dog into the care of their clients, patients, or students. The organization says a facility dog can be trained to read cue cards, inspiring kids to read themselves and perform tasks in the classroom to teach students about etiquette.
Now, Nugget is teaching other districts about the power of a pet in the classroom, their impact on mental health, and a new kind of “best friend from high school.”
(WISH Photos)