Pleasant Valley students have most likely interacted with the service dog, Mojo, on multiple occasions during the school day. Mojo often runs through the halls and performs tricks in return for treats, and cuddles with students who pet him. Mojo has come to hold a special place in many students’ hearts, and this can be for a couple of reasons. Mojo is always fun to see in the hallway, but for many students, he has a more important purpose.
Mojo started his therapy career after Riverdale Heights Elementary School principal, Jim Wichman, reached out to Jodi Mitchell about training Mojo to be a therapy dog for their school. At the elementary, Mojo would sit with kids as they read out loud, or even be taken on a walk by students that just needed a break. After his time at Riverdale, Mojo came to help out at the high school. Mitchell said that his jobs are very different at the high school, a transition that Mojo was more than prepared for. Mitchell said, “Mojo changes his behavior depending on who he’s around. He plays differently with Megan than he does with me.”
Students throughout the school are benefitting from having Mojo around. Students and faculty have noticed the growing amount of people that now choose to walk in the front hallway, just in case they get a chance to see Mojo. Paige Hawbaker, senior, said, “In the morning, during reading, he [Mojo] comes in and gets really excited to see me. I get excited to see him too.” Students feel a sense of compassion from Mojo and for some, he is said to be the highlight of their day. Mitchell said, “Dogs have unconditional love. They don’t care what clothing you’re wearing, they don’t care what shoes you have, they don’t care if you’re late to class. They just want to say hi.”
The Mitchell family is wanting to train another dog so that they will always have one for their family and for the school. Mojo has been a therapy dog for almost all of his life, starting training at about eight months old. The Mitchell’s would like the school to join them in celebrating Mojo’s birthday on Tuesday, April 11. To read more about Mojo and his journey to becoming a service dog, read Lillie Klauer’s article, “How Mojo got his mojo”, linked below.
Therapy animals are starting to appear in schools across the country. Recently, The University of North Carolina decided to add REMINGTON, a golden retriever, to their training team. REMINGTON is one of the only service facility dogs in the entire country. Some of REMINGTON’s duties include fetching stray balls, bringing the players water, and being by the player’s side through physical therapy.
Terri Jo Rucinski is the clinic coordinator at the University’s physical therapy clinic, Campus Health, and also the staff athletic trainer for UNC baseball. Rucinski has already seen the benefits of having REMINGTON be a part of the team. Rucinski said, “One of the most difficult things an athlete can go through is an injury. We’ve had some kids who have had surgery this year, and they seem to have turned the corner quickly emotionally, which hadn’t really happened in the past.” Rucinski believes that having REMINGTON around helps athletes to heal psychologically, which is a big part of their recovery.
Therapy cats are also becoming more popular, specifically in nursing and elderly care facilities. Many nursing homes have started to bring on Pet Care Coordinators to help their residents. Whether this means helping individuals to care for their existing pets, or bringing in other animals for residents who don’t have pets, Pet Care Coordinators across the country have been working to bring the soothing nature of animals to people who need it most.
On Dec. 15, 2016, the New York Times did an article about therapy cats and dementia patients. What was different about these cats, was that they were actually cat-sized robots. These robots were passed around the room by therapists and were said to help warm-up the room. They were also there to soothe the patients of the anxiety and agitation that often accompanies dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Mary Farkas, director of therapeutic activities at Hebrew Home, was one of the first individuals to realize the potential healing powers these cats would have for her patients. Farkas said, “For a lot of our residents, it’s a chance to be a caregiver, and to be in an active, empowered role again.” Some of the residents now have their own cats, and the care facility is looking into purchasing more as their patient population grows.
Animals have been companions for humans since the beginning of time, but now their kind spirits and healing capabilities are allowing them to have a new importance in people’s lives. While having pets may seem like a chore, many individuals who own animals say that they wouldn’t trade them for the world. Mitchell said, “People ask me all the time if he sheds. Yes, he does and it’s about an inch thick covering our whole house, but he is completely worth every single hair.”
