Therapy dogs bring comfort to Clifton teachers, students after death of principal

CLIFTON — The district's growing pack of therapy dogs, although not yet fully ready, were called in last week to bring comfort to a school in crisis.

Chewie and his goldendoodle puppy peers, Kobe and Teddy, traveled to School 2 to comfort the staff and administrators after the death of beloved school Principal Jennifer Lucas.

Kobe and Teddy are not quite full grown and are still bonding with their handlers, but the decision was made to send them to the school because the staff members were distraught, said Mark Gengaro, the assistant superintendent of schools.

Jessica Tremble, the district's supervisor for K-8 counseling and Teddy's handler, said the news about Lucas, who died on Oct. 7, was traumatic to the staff members. Because they found out that day, staff members had no choice but to put on brave faces and power through the school day.

News of Lucas' death was officially shared with students and their families later that evening. To help teachers, staff members and school administrators, Tremble said, all three dogs were made available to them on that day.

One teacher thanked her and told her that seeing the dogs helped him, because "his heart hurt."

Tremble said she also watched as staff members who were afraid of dogs looked at them and smiled. The dogs were brought back to the school the next day to make classroom visits to help the students cope with the loss.

"These dogs really did what they are supposed to do," Tremble said.

Chewie joined the district in 2023, and Kobe and Teddy were introduced to the district at a Board of Education meeting in September. Commissioners were told the dogs would all be ready to bring comfort by late October.

Chewie's integration into the district was very successful, leading to the expansion of the program, the handlers said.

During the 2023-24 school year, Chewie made almost 300 appearances. While his presence brought joy to students throughout the district, Gengaro said, he proved his worth in behavior modification programs by helping students master their school anxiety.

In behavior modification, Chewie's inclusion led to a 100% success rate. Concerning school anxiety, shortly after school opened this year, Gengaro saw yet another example of the efficacy dogs have in calming and encouraging students.

While taking Chewie for a walk before attending a team-building event, Gengaro came across a student with severe anxiety. None of the district's professionals could alleviate his stress.

Enter Gengaro and Chewie.

"You could see a change immediately," Gengaro said. "It was all smiles."

Chewie helped get the student into the school and to the point where the student was willing to participate in the group-building activity.

Still, with more than 11,000 children in the district, Chewie needed help. Tremble said she has been working with Gengaro on expanding the therapy dog project.

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"Teddy's calming and sociable demeanor positions him well for this role, and I am confident he will succeed as part of our therapeutic efforts," she said. "Expanding Team Chewie by adding additional therapy dogs will enhance our program."

Gengaro said he would like to see more therapy dogs, perhaps one for each school. The cost of the dogs will be justified, he said, if the program helps the district keep students who would otherwise have to attend a private or special needs school.

The dogs, which come mostly trained, cost about $13,000 each. Out-of-district placements can easily top $100,000 per student annually.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Therapy dogs bring comfort to Clifton teachers, students after death of principal