James is like any student at SSFS. He goes to class on time, engages with teachers and has a fair amount of friends. The thing that makes him different from other students is that he is hairy and has four legs. You see, James is a young Golden Retriever, owned by English teacher Scott Carneal. Luckily, James is not the only dog enjoying high school classes. Some of the other dogs that make SSFS a superb community are Maggie Moffatt and Tallulah Kerr.

Teachers at SSFS choose to bring their dogs to the school for a multitude of reasons, including for the convenience of the dog. In a recent interview, Josh Moffatt, a history teacher and member of the ninth grade team, stated, “It started off when I lived on campus so my dog, Maggie, was already at school.” Rather than staying at home all day, dogs like Tallulah, Steff Kerr’s rescue dog, enjoy being around people. “She gets bummed when she is not going to school. Even at home, she waits at the door,” Steff said. However, Scott Carneal, the head of the English department, said it’s not only for the dog’s benefit to be at school. He explained that when James is at school, both he and James are able to get fresh air and exercise during the school day.

In addition to the dogs helping teachers, students also benefit from having a furry canine companion in class. Dogs in class provide a welcoming work environment and SSFS students enjoy having them at school. High schoolers, for the most part, do not feel distracted by having an animal in the room when learning. “I think people enjoy the benefit of having the dog in the classroom,” said Steff Kerr. “There is something soothing about having the dog here. [Tallulah] is super chill and she is not an attention hound which is helpful for teaching class.” Also at times, dogs help with social anxieties. “I think it helps students relax and provides a place where students can be entertained and they don’t have to worry about any social anxieties because the dog is taking up all that negative energy,” said Josh Moffatt.

Despite all the good things that dogs bring, there are some problems, For instance, they may want to be petted all the time and several students are either allergic to or afraid of dogs. However, they are positive additions to the SSFS community and having dogs in the classroom and on campus distinguishes our school from others. Dogs like Tallulah, Maggie, and James help make students and teachers’ school days better. Overall, the canine students earn an A+.