Therapy dog with special needs offers comfort, kisses at North Pocono school
Oct. 5—MOSCOW — Within days of Dutton arriving home two years ago, her new family knew something was wrong.
The white Labrador puppy couldn't digest her food. A veterinarian diagnosed her with megaesophagus, a condition that is often fatal. Dutton's owner, Sarah Edwards, contacted the breeder.
If Edwards returned Dutton, the puppy would be euthanized. Edwards and her family had already fallen in love and wanted to give Dutton a comfortable home, for whatever time she had left.
This week, Dutton wagged her tail in the halls of Moscow Elementary Center, sitting for pets and ear rubs and giving an occasional lick.
The puppy with an uncertain future now works as the school's therapy dog, providing comfort to children and, with her special needs, gives the students a way to relate.
"We knew she wasn't an ordinary dog," Edwards said. "We knew she had something to give back."
Schools nationwide report unprecedented numbers of children with anxiety, depression and other mental health challenges, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. A growing number of Northeast Pennsylvania schools have adopted therapy dog programs as a way to calm and comfort students. Staff members enjoy time with Dutton, too.
"It's the whole school that needs her," Edwards said. "Kids see her as a dog. She's different but also the same."
Edwards, who has two daughters at Moscow Elementary, visits the school with Dutton twice a week. The dog's condition, which decreases mobility in the muscles of the esophagus, requires her to sit upright in a special highchair for 30 minutes as she consumes breakfast and dinner. She sucks on or chews ice cubes, instead of lapping from a bowl of water. As a puppy, she sat in an old infant car seat.
A certified therapy dog, Dutton knows that when she wears her pink vest, it's time to work, not play. In place of traditional treats, Dutton receives positive praise and a tennis ball. Edwards also carries a canister of Gerber puffs. The snack meant for babies dissolves without having to be chewed and swallowed — and is easily recognizable by students.
"They realize everyone can be different," second-grade teacher Michelle Layland said. "She's a pup with a purpose."
Dutton waited inside Layland's classroom as students came back from gym class this week.
"Dutton, you are so beautiful!" a student said as she patted the dog's head and returned to her desk.
Norah Keating, 7, said she and her classmates love visiting with Dutton.
"She's really soft, and I love when she does cool tricks," Norah said. "It's really fun, and I'm so happy."
Contact the writer: shofius@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9133; @hofiushallTT on Twitter.
