PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – Rutherford High School’s newest employee isn’t what you would expect. She has 4 paws and a wagging tail! Winnie is a one-and-a-half-year-old English cream golden retriever.
Her mom works for Bay District Schools and got her with the intent to have her serve as a therapy dog for the students at Rutherford High School.
Kathy Johnson, a mental health professional and Winnie’s mom says, “I just felt like a therapy dog would benefit the students, just be a calming influence. A lot of what we do is de-escalating and helping with anxiety and things like that.”
Winnie is brand new to her role, but she is already making a difference, just one week into the school year.
Johnson continues, “Whenever Winnie walks up, there is a swarm of kids that just come around her and want to pet her. She just stands there and looks at them and lets them do it, almost smiles at them. The difference she makes whenever she’s interacting with the kids it’s obvious, anyone can see that.”
It’s not just a calming assurance for the students, but the staff loves Winnie too!
Margot Gall, a school counselor at Rutherford High tells us “The impact she’s had has been very positive. Our kids absolutely love her but also the staff really loves her. She’s just a comfort., almost like being at home if you have pets, you understand. Just watching the kids when their moods deescalate from being very upset or tense to kind of just mellowing out and they keep coming back and they’re like ‘Where’s Winnie?’”
Officials tell us Winnie is not the only school therapy dog in Bay District Schools, but she is the first at Rutherford High.
Winnie has already gone through all of her training and received her certifications. Winnie’s mom tells us she is so thankful for the community that came together to help get her trained and insured.
Copyright 2024 WJHG. All rights reserved.
