Traveler, a Burnese mountain dog-poodle mix, is a rock star in the Longfellow Elementary School’s north Spokane campus. Small hands reach out to pat him as he walks slowly down the halls. Hi, Traveler.
Principal Adam Oakley owns Traveler, a therapy canine. He provides a calm presence to children and staff alike. He is a wanderer who can move in and out classrooms at will. Sometimes he follows Oakley, but sometimes he just goes where he feels like it.
Oakley recently went into a third-grade classroom to find Traveler lying on the ground in the middle a group of children. Oakley stated that there will be times in the day when he won’t be there. He just wanders into classrooms.
Oakley bought Traveler for his daughter, who suffers from juvenile rheumatoid artifiid arthritis, when he was eight weeks old. Her family was told she might have trouble walking as she grew older.
Oakley explained that he was trained to be a support animal for Oakley in order to help her balance and move.
Oakley began to explore how Traveler could be used to help his 14-year-old daughter. He approached Superintendent Adam Swinyard to discuss the possibility of bringing Traveler to school.
Dr. Swinyard said that he and I had been discussing ways to make school more welcoming, and less institutional. I started bringing (Traveler), a few times last year, and almost every day this summer.
Oakley stated that the results have been nothing but good.
He said that it has been so beneficial for our children and for our staff. He is able to drop tension, regardless of whether it’s adults or children. He can almost make tension disappear when he is there.
Travelers is so well-known to students that they don’t cause any trouble when he enters classrooms. Students can reach out to touch him and pat his head while they work, or even pet him as he passes by. A traveler can also be very useful in times of crisis.
Yesterday, a second grader came out of his classroom, fists clenched. Oakley said that I was just in the hallway.
Oakley asked the boy what was wrong, and he said that he didn’t want to talk about it. He did ask if Traveler would be willing to sit with him. Oakley said that the two sat together for ten minutes before Oakley announced that he was ready to return to class.
He said that there are endless stories. They are dealing with things. Sometimes they don’t want to talk to the principal about their feelings.
Oakley said that although Traveler wasn’t trained as a therapy dog but he does know who needs him. Traveler doesn’t always go to students who call him out when he enters classrooms. Hell go sit with the person he feels most in need of him and lean in.
He can definitely sense if a child may need it. He has heard screaming and crying from children, and sometimes he can hear them leaving those rooms.
Teachers at the school seem to also appreciate Travelers presence.
Staff members will walk into my office and tell me that they just need Traveler. This is a very difficult job. They have so much.
Traveler is calm at school.
Oakley said that he knows when he’s working. He will become a dog if I let him go to the toilet. He loves to chase squirrels and runs around. He turns it off when he returns to the house.
Traveler sleeps in Oakleys office, and also has a small computer cart with a dog bed that he uses to transport his dog around the school.
Oakley said that he is quite tired at the end. He jumps into the truck and lies down for most of the journey home.
Oakley stated that Longfellow has so greatly benefited from the traveler, he wishes there was more.
He said that the benefits are immense. I wish they could be offered in every school.