By Bruce Rolfe
Galesburg-Augusta Primary School students not only enjoy a cheerful and supportive staff when they come to school each day, they also relish regular interaction with a very friendly school therapy dog.
Scampi, a four-year-old golden retriever the G-A School District obtained from fund raising and community donations through Paws With A Cause, is currently in his third year at the G-A Primary School as a therapy dog.
G-A Primary School Dean of Students Michael Ball is Scampi’s dog handler.
Ball said Scampi was bred through Paws With A Cause. He said Paws With A Cause puts the dog through puppy training. The dog then typically goes through a few temporary locations before being assigned to a permanent location.
Galesburg-Augusta Primary School students not only enjoy a cheerful and supportive staff when they come to school each day, they also relish regular interaction with a very friendly school therapy dog.
Scampi, a four-year-old golden retriever the G-A School District obtained from fund raising and community donations through Paws With A Cause, is currently in his third year at the G-A Primary School as a therapy dog.
G-A Primary School Dean of Students Michael Ball is Scampi’s dog handler.
Ball said Scampi was bred through Paws With A Cause. He said Paws With A Cause puts the dog through puppy training. The dog then typically goes through a few temporary locations before being assigned to a permanent location.
(Photo by Bruce Rolfe)
Ball said the school obtained Scampi shortly before he turned two years old.
Once Scampi was obtained by the school district, Scampi and Ball went through eight plus weeks of training together to master skills for when he is working. He went through training at Ball’s residence then at the school.
The Primary School dean of students said Scampi is full of energy and loves to play, tug, wrestle, and roll in the grass.
He said Scampi works well with the students and enjoys all of the attention he gets from the adults in the building.
Ball adds Scampi’s main objective is to boost moral for the students and adults working hard during the day.
He serves as a calming tool for students having rough days or who need a break.
(Photo courtesy of Michael Ball)
“The feedback’s been overwhelmingly positive. Every time they see him in the hall way, their eyes light up. They get excited, they’re always waving. They’re always ready for when he might come into their classroom,” said Ball, who is in his fourth year as the G-A Primary School dean of students but taught kindergarten at the local school the previous five years.
Ball said there are expectations students learn at the beginning of the year about having interactions with Scampi.
“It’s the beginning of the year so they’re still learning, but give it another couple of weeks and they will be rock stars. That way, he comes into the room, while they get excited for a second, their job is to still be learning. And he goes into rooms when he sees people are really rocking it so that he can get some pets from everybody while they’re working hard, but that they can stay focused and still do their learning,” explained Ball.
Students have really embraced Scampi.
“He’s cute, funny, he likes to be with people and he’s a support dog,” said G-A third grade student Zayden Smith.
“He’s nice and he listens good. He’s the best dog. And he’s super playful. He’s just nice to play with,” adds G-A 4th grade student Kuiper Newton.
Kuiper and Zayden said Scampi can sense when students are having a challenging day and can brighten their day up quickly just by showing up by their side.
“If anybody’s feeling sad or scared, Scampi can help you calm down,” said Zayden.
“When he goes by you and if you pet him he will stay there with you. And he can tell when you’re sad,” adds Kuiper.
G-A Primary School 4th grade teacher Kathryn Dooley agrees with the students and has noticed Scampi “can tell when someone needs him.”
But the therapy dog also loves the attention.
“When somebody reaches out to him and they’re really giving him some extra attention, he recognizes that, oh, this person needs me right now and he’ll just plant himself. He’ll either just sit there
and let you pet him. He can sometimes get a little greedy with the pets. If you stop petting him, he makes it known that you stop petting him. He’ll nudge you but he won’t leave you. He knows that
you need him. It’s pretty cool to watch him gravitate towards people who just really need him in that moment,” observed Dooley.
Scampi’s presence not only has a calming impact on students, but Dooley said teachers find the therapy dog can provide a lift to them as well.
“There’s times where if I’m having an overwhelming day, I’ll go sit in Mr. Ball’s office with him (Scampi) and just relax for a few minutes. He just brings a different type of feeling into whatever room he’s in,” said Dooley, who is in her fourth year teaching at the G-A Primary School after teaching four years at the G-A Middle School.
Ball said Scampi has developed a good relationship with Dooley, who said she has seen the positive effect Scampi has had on students all three years the golden retriever has been a therapy dog at the school.
“Joy, first and foremost. He’s obviously a cute guy, so the kids get so excited to see him. The kids get excited, the teachers all get excited. He also brings a very calming presence. I’ll get him sometimes and he will just sit in the room while I read. He’ll just wonder around, the kids will pet him. He’s just got such a calming presence to him and the kids are happy to see him,” said Dooley, a 2015 graduate of G-A High School.
Ball said during the school day, Scampi is laser focused on what he is trained to do. But when the two return home, he’s a normal dog.
“After work, he’s a dog’s dog. That’s when I show up and I’m like, o.k., there’s the stubbornness, there’s the ‘I’m smarter then you’ attitude sometimes,” explained Ball.
Ball, who considers himself as a dog person, said he hesitated to get a dog because he didn’t want to leave the dog home every day while he was at work.
He feels fortunate to be able to live and work with his golden retriever.
“Once Mr. Sportel (G-A Primary School Principal Shaun Sportel) decided we were going to fund raise for a dog for our school, I said sign me up. I’ll do it,” recalled Ball, who said he has formed a tight bond with Scampi.
G-A Primary School 4th grade teacher Kathryn Dooley
is pictured reading to her class with Scampi.
is pictured reading to her class with Scampi.
(Photo by Bruce Rolfe)
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