Critters in the classroom

Palm Coast Observer
News

Wadsworth Elementary School teacher Jaime Byrne used to hand out about a referral a week in her classroom, but since her new assistant arrived in January, she hasn’t handed out any.

But her new helper’s not the hard-nosed type. In fact, he’s a real softie: After all, he’s a Shih Tzu, and teacher’s aides don’t come much softer than that.

“His job is to provide unconditional love and support when needed,” said Byrne, who works with children who have emotional or behavioral issues. “He helps the kids with empathy. He helps with responsibility.”

And the pooch has earned the praise of Wadsworth Principal John Fanelli, who said the promise of special time with the pup can be enough to get kids to do their work.

“It’s great for motivation,” He said. “The kids work really hard to get that time with the dog.”

Byrne got Scooby — a stout grey and white ball of fluff with an ever-wagging tail — after several months of searching for the perfect canine match for her classroom. She wanted a dog that could tolerate kids’ antics, and a breed that wouldn’t cause allergies.

With Scooby, she found him.

“He can handle a whole bunch of kindergarteners jumping on him with no problem,” she said. And Shih Tzus, like poodles, are a non-shedding breed friendlier to allergy-sufferers than big shedders.

Scooby’s about 1, Byrne said. She got him from All Pets Rescue and brought him into the classroom after winter break, certifying him online as an emotional support dog.

Monday afternoon, the classroom smelled of peanut butter as the kids baked “Scooby snacks,” handmade dog cookies prepared in a custom doggie-treat cooker donated by Wadsworth bookkeeper Mary Ann Quinci-Suwinski.

For some of the kids, preparing the snack is a lesson in itself. The kids — who range from first grade to sixth grade and are in Byrne’s class temporarily to work on behavioral or social issues — have to read the recipe from a cookbook and measure out the ingredients. (But, no pressure: If they get it a bit off, at least no one will complain about the taste.)

The kids bag the dog treats and sell them at school to cover the costs of Wadsworth’s emotional support animal program, which also includes a guinea pig named Butterball and a hamster named Stewie.

They take turns with other pooch-related tasks, like taking Scooby on his designated daily walks.

But it doesn’t take much for the dog to brighten a kid’s day.

One boy came in Monday after a rough weekend, Byrne said, and “first thing, he came in and gave Scooby a hug, and he was done. Problem solved,” she said, laughing. “There isn’t one person who doesn’t smile when you walk by with a dog.”