There are 565 freshmen this year, but only one wags her tail when she’s happy.
On the first day of school, freshman Christopher Thompson introduced his classmates to KitKat, a 1-year-old Goldendoodle that works as Thompson’s service dog.
At home, Thompson said KitKat is a regular pet, but during school hours, Thompson said she is a highly-trained service animal that helps him be more successful.
“If something gets too loud or I faze out, she will bark at me and tell me to wake up,” he said.
Thompson added if he ever feels sad or cannot pay attention, KitKat will lay her head on his knee in an effort to comfort him.
“[She changes my everyday life] so I don’t have to be as scared to do stuff,” Thompson said. “I’ve got somebody to help me if things get too bad.”
Student Information Assistant Suzanna Pangilinan, who has worked at GCM for 16 years, said she could not recall any other service dogs ever assisting students in class. In recent years, however, Principal Jeff Litz has brought therapy dogs for all students to enjoy in an effort to reduce anxiety during the end of the school year.
To prepare the student body for KitKat’s arrival, Litz sent an email to parents in August, suggesting they should talk to their students about the purpose of service animals.
“It would be helpful for you to emphasize that the service dog is a working animal whose purpose is to help another student, is not a pet, and should not be petted or fed,” Litz’s email read.
Thompson said his classmates reacted positively to KitKat’s presence in class, with only a few exceptions.
“The worst thing that has happened is someone thought they were allergic to the dog, but [KitKat] is a hypoallergenic dog,” Thompson said. “She should be fine for everyone.”
Similar to Litz, Thompson said he still prefers for his peers to not pet KitKat, or that they at least ask.
Classmates said they enjoy having KitKat in class, and she is not a distraction.
“[KitKat is] so adorable,” freshman Sophie Page said. “We aren’t allowed to pet [her], but [she’s] still so cute.”
Other students, who only see KitKat in the hallway, agreed.
“The dog is really cute and well-behaved, and I always want to pet it because I have a weakness for dogs,” sophomore Serena Agnew said.
Senior Diego Haldemann said seeing a dog in the hallway was jarring at first, but students have grown accustomed to KitKat’s presence.
“I think it definitely is a new experience for a bunch of people, and [KitKat] tends to cause a small scene,” Haldemann said. “People tend to move out of the way […] and giggle at how cute [she] is. There’s usually an audible ‘good boy’ or two every time I see [her].”
Thompson said having KitKat has led to greater success in school.
“I can be less stressed around stressful situations [and] she is something I can just snuggle up.”
