Mike Wolanin | The Republic Third graders Audrianna Adams, left, and Kinley Hartwell reach out to pet therapy dog Starlight at Hope Elementary School in Hope, Ind., Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024.
HOPE — For some, collectables may include a timeless piece of art, an old comic book, even a Mickey Mantle baseball card. For the students at Hope Elementary and Hauser Jr-Sr High School, the most coveted item is a trading card of everyone’s favorite four-legged staff member.
Starlight the therapy dog, a 3-year-old miniature Australian Shepherd with one brown and one blue eye, just finished her first semester of work and has proven to be an asset, wagging through the halls and uplifting the spirits of all who come in her path, students and staff say. Students’ faces light up when they catch a glimpse of her.
“Starlight’s not just here to play, she has the same goal as all of us (which is to help) our kids feel safe and they feel that they can be here and learn and do their best,” said School Resource Officer Jessica Pendleton, who works with and cares for the dog.
Pendleton adopted Starlight for sport initially, but the dog had other talents. The deputy, who also runs Columbus-based Guardian K9 with her husband Sean, became interested in helping Starlight become a certified therapy dog.
“She was with a family that could no longer keep her. They said that she was active, that she’d be good for sport work, and that was not the case. She’s not a typical Australian Shepherd. (She’s) very calm.”
Numerous studies from prominent, peer-reviewed veterinary science journals have indicated that therapy dogs decrease anxiety and comfort those who may be experiencing difficulties. That is particularly the case for children.
When Pendleton went to Bartholomew County Sheriff Chris Lane and Flat-Rock Hawcreek School Corp. Superintendent Shawn Price about Starlight as a school therapy dog, they were into the idea.
“Both of them were on board with it, that’s when we had to then start talking to the other administrators in the building, and then the school board, and then the county commissioners were involved as well,” Pendleton said.
“We’d actually looked at this years ago, the request came across my desk. And at that time we didn’t feel like we had the right set up and the right personnel in place,” Price said. “When Officer Pendleton brought it to my attention, and said that she would like to look into starting this program, I thought there was no better person to run this than her.”
Therapy dogs differ from emotional support dogs and service dogs, Pendleton said. Service dogs are trained to do specific things for people with disabilities. Although Starlight does provide emotional support for students, emotional support dogs are trained to live with and assist a specific handler. Therapy dogs are often calm like Starlight and are trained to interact with a variety of different people, per the American Kennel Club.
Starlight was certified at the south central Indiana chapter of Love on a Leash, a national non-profit committed to bringing comfort, happiness, and healing by increasing public awareness of pet therapy, according to the organizations website.
The dog has a number of things that she may do on a daily basis. Pendleton is a DARE instructor and Starlight tags along with her three days a week for sessions that last an hour. The conversations can sometimes be difficult, Pendleton said, so Starlight is there to give the kids some reassurance.
A couple of days a week the dog accompanies Pendleton to a special education resource class where students share their goals with Starlight. If they attain them, the kids receive a Starlight card or sticker. There are three versions of stickers and her trading card lists important facts such as, “Favorite toy: plush duck.”
The dog is able to lend a paw in ways that adults can’t.
“(The) things that are most memorable to me are just the impact that she has that we are not capable of doing ourselves. Where there’s some students that are having a bad day and their emotions are really high,” Pendleton said. “A lot of the time those kids —especially junior high— don’t want to talk.”
Starlight helps students calm down and floods them with good feeling endorphins, Pendleton said. In the SRO’s office, a blanket covers part of a couch where Starlight stays next to students during conversations, providing consolation.
In the most serious instances such as investigations of child abuse or neglect, Pendleton said students are able to tell Starlight things that they feel they can’t tell her. The dog is always a patient ear kids can count on.
“They don’t feel comfortable sharing that information with me, but I’m there. And they’re sharing it all to her. I had one student that’s like, ‘I can’t believe I just shared that.’ I’m like, ‘Well, you didn’t share it with me, you shared it with Starlight.’”
In the classroom, some students read to Starlight.
“There’s no judgement there,” said essential skills teacher Sarah Lewis. “Starlight doesn’t care if they can’t pronounce the word on their first try.”
It sometimes takes time for students who may have trouble in a learning environment to adjust. With the help of Starlight, the amount of time that takes has been cut in half in some cases, staff members said.
Starlight gives a lift not only to students, but staff as well, helping them through stresses that educators may have. Some teachers keep treats in their desk in hopes that the dog makes a stop in their room. Starlight has already learned which staff has her favorite treats, which are “anything with chicken.” When she passes certain classrooms, she bolts in ready to greet her admirers.
Hope Elementary Principal Jessica Poe has already seen the impact Starlight has had on her staff.
“I think it’s just as therapeutic for my teachers,” Poe said. “I knew the kids would love (Starlight) but the adults— that was a little more surprising to me, just to see what an impact it makes. I’ve even had them come in if they’re having a rough day. ‘I was having a rough day, I needed you Starlight.’”
Pendleton said the fact that Starlight may not be a typical miniature Australian Shepard shows the kids she comes in contact with that it’s OK to be different. Sometimes even Starlight can be shy and needs a little warming up.
“It’s helpful to see that even a dog that’s trained to do this— to help people get through hard times— that her herself needs some space to relax.”
Pendleton got help from colleagues in Colorado who gave her advice on what to expect. The dog goes through her schedule and occassionally returns to her crate in Pendleton’s office.
“That is her time just to decompress,” Pendleton said.
One student even dressed up as Pendleton for Halloween, equipped with a Starlight lookalike stuffed animal. Another student who earns time with her keeps a picture of Starlight on her desk as a reminder of what could be in store if she does well.
“It definitely is motivating,” said third grade teacher Tina Robertson. “’You know you’re only five punches away from being able to spend some time with Starlight,’ and then I start seeing some improvement.”
To view a video of Starlight visiting with students is available at:
