Mishawaka’s Lasalle Elementary welcomes therapy dog “Penny” for first day of school

MISHAWAKA, Ind. - Wednesday, August 16, was the first day of school for thousands of students across Michiana.

School City of Mishawaka welcomed a special new staff member for the 2023-2024 school year with four legs and fluffy hair, launching their pilot therapy dog program.

Back to school can be a stressful time for students and facility, but SCM is hoping to ease the anxiety they may feel not just on the first day, but all year long.

Penny, the five-month-old, golden doodle will take on the role of Mishawaka’s first therapy dog.

She isn’t just there to look cute, she has plenty of work to do, and about a year and a half of training left.

"The idea behind therapy dogs is they are supposed to help reduce students anxiety…anxiousness over really anything, a student might feel more comfortable reading to a dog than they do their teacher,” said superintendent Dr. Theodore Stevens.

The hope is that she will not just reduce students anxiety, but hopefully raise attendance rates by giving them a greater incentive to come to school, and the students are not the only ones benefiting.

Penny’s handler, social worker Michelle Anderson sure is popular in the halls these days, after spending her summer hard at work preparing Penny for the first day and all the ones to follow. She told ABC57 this is something she has always wanted to do, to keep a friends memory alive.

"After a friend of mine passed away, I thought about it…she was a teacher herself… she loved children and animals. She would dog sit for anyone, so I thought, 'How could I combine the two and that’s when I started on the therapy dog again,'” said Anderson.

Penny felt all the back-to-school emotions for her big day, especially tired.

“It’s like the one thing, animals, dogs, cats, there’s no judgement...and you can just be you,” Anderson added.

Superintendent Stevens says he’s excited to see the pup grow along with the students, and possibly the program.

"If it’s as positive as we think it’s going to be, we may look at ways to expand in the future’” he said.