Aug 24, 2009 5:47 pm US/Central
Four-Legged Friends Help With First Day Of School
FORT WORTH (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
First day of school jitters kept many kids up last night. But at one Fort Worth elementary school relief came in the shape of some four-legged friends.
Therapy dogs are busy these days, providing that unconditional love and uncanny intuition that seems to make everything, even the first day of school, okay.
With new backpacks, friends, and paparazzi parents taking hundreds of pictures, the first day of school can be tough on a kid.
But at Merritt elementary in Fort Worth relief is just a pet away
Having the dogs here helps calm those fears, for kids and staff and parents" explains principal Melissa Bryan.
Schools like Merritt are seeing the positive difference therapy dogs can make.
"They were all crying, soon they were all laughing" says dog handler Dianne Hughes with Delta Hearts of Gold.
The dogs were calming kids fears with a familiar, furry distraction.
"It's a proven fact dogs lower their blood pressure so that would help them"
Chloe, Herbie and Katie are three of 44 dogs trained through the Delta Hearts of Gold program.
They travel to 18 different North Texas facilities. And some are even certified to help kids read.
Michelle Snell owns Chloe. "They pick out a book and read to dogs. Great for kids who don't want to read aloud in class, who struggle, so they know they can read to dogs and have no judgment."
The dogs also go to hospitals, assisted living and Alzheimer's homes and will soon partner with disaster management. The next training class starts in late October.
For more information, check out the
Delta Hearts of Gold website.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Reporting
Comments