Therapy Dog/Reading Buddy King now holds regular office hours at the Hilltown Charter School in Easthampton, Massachusetts. On alternate Tuesday mornings, from 9:00-11:00 a.m., King is available to students in his own office space centrally located across from the school office. His office is a cozy, 12’x 12′ room, windows on one wall, the other three walls lined with bookcases full of books. On the floor are three, large, puffy pillows, perfect for King and a student to share. In the photo above, King settles into position to greet his first student of the morning.
Just an hour ago, this very special dog was romping around our back field with his two sisters, Lily and Annie, madly chasing after each other in what is left of the Thanksgiving snowstorm. Once suited up in his Therapy Dog uniform, consisting of his Bright Spot blue vest and official ID badge, this fellow is transformed into a calm, gentle, ready-to-go work Therapy Dog.
King truly enjoys his work. He and I share this special passion of bringing comfort to others through the human-canine bond. The children come, one-at-a-time, to King’s office at 15-minute intervals. It’s a time to relax, pet the dog, chat a bit, and do some reading. A soothing break from the rest of the day.
The students have especially enjoyed reading the Bright Spot Reading Buddy Book Series we’re developing. Each book is about one of our Reading Buddies. Today, some of the readers reread King’s book, then read MEET OWEN, and MEET COCO. It’s a way to enjoy meeting the other Bright Spot Reading Buddy dogs in our program that service 12 other schools in Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin, and Worcester counties in Massachusetts. Therapy Dogs have a wonderfully calming effect on children in the schools.