A little unorthodox
Although I wasn't there, I can just imagine the local school board's reaction when they heard a request for a school therapy dog.
After all, it's not every day that an animal becomes a staff member of a Kansas public school.
But that's what Hillsboro Middle School counselor Tonja Wienck wanted to do: bring a therapy dog to school as a way to reach kids.
Sound strange? To the animal lover, there's nothing strange about it.
(Keep in mind this editorial is coming from someone who has, at last count, four pictures of her mom's new Boston Terrier in various places around her desk.)
Dogs are wonderful animals because they offer us something that you can't find anywhere else on the planet: unconditional love.
They don't care if your clothes aren't in style. They don't care if your hair sticks up, there's spinach in your teeth, and you're a horrible conversationalist. They take you just the way you are.
Dogs are a lot easier to talk to than many humans. And in the world of middle school, where cruel words and actions can come so easily from teen-agers, they're safe.
A student who's uneasy and uncomfortable at school won't be thinking about the class lecture or the test — he'll be thinking about his clothes or how to avoid an awkward situation.
If this therapy dog can alleviate even a tiny bit of that uneasiness — reduce the stress level just a tad — it's worth it.
Vet bills and all.
— JENNIFER WILSON
