New facility dog named Patches adds extra level of support at Northside Elementary
- Charity Fitch
- Aug 3, 2023
- 3 min read
Students at Northside Elementary were welcomed back by more than just teachers and staff on Thursday, Aug. 11. A new facility dog named Patches also greeted students as they returned to school.
Northside Elementary assistant principal Erica Brown is Patches’ handler and owner. She said Patches is a 3-year-old golden lab cross female. Patches is described by Brown as friendly, shy, patient, loving and “an extension of support.”
While working in education, Brown has seen her students go through many different types of traumas, including losing a parent or a sibling. She explained how difficult it can be to put those emotional needs into words.
“When you’re feeling a certain kind of way, dogs are so intuitive to just come to you and just meet you in that emotion and meet you in that pain,” Brown said. “And for me, it’s just another way that I could reach a kid. It’s another way that I could help someone else.”
On the first day of school, Brown already saw the impact Patches can have on students.
She explained how there was a little girl who missed her mom and wanted to go home. Brown asked if she wanted to walk Patches to the art room, using a smaller leash attached to the one Brown held. The little girl jumped at the opportunity and now mentions it every time she sees Brown.
“It’s something that we are like (that’s) so minor, walking 30 yards to the art room – not a big deal. But to her, it meant like, ‘I am so happy. I will never forget that,’ ” Brown said.
Patches has an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon where she can walk around the school and visit four different classes with Brown. Teachers sign up their classes through Google Calendar.
The students are told when they see Patches she is working, and they cannot run up and touch her. Brown encourages students to wave or "wag their tail" to say hello to Patches.
When Brown first stepped into a classroom in 2010, she felt that it could be better with a dog. One of the schools where she worked had a facility dog her students would read to on Wednesdays. Brown said her students looked forward to it every day.
From that moment on, Brown worked to get her own facility dog she could use to reach kids.
In January 2020, she purchased a dog with the intention of training him to become a facility dog, but he was meant to be a pet, she said.
She later applied through Canine Companions in Irving and went through its five-interview process to have a facility dog matched with her. In December 2021, she finished her last interview and received a call in January 2022 she had been approved.
Brown said the next step was waiting which could last one to three years, but she received a call during the summer that she had a match with Patches.
“I was like, ‘Already? It hasn’t even been a year,’ ” Brown said. “It just feels crazy.”
She trained one on one with Patches for six days at Canine Companions’ site. Patches is trained to remain close to Brown as they walk around school. She can complete commands like rolling over, talking on demand, holding items in her mouth and more.
Brown said she has taken extra precautions for students who have dog allergies. Patches is kept on a strict hygiene schedule, and Brown has a hypoallergenic air filter in her office that pulls Patches’ hair particles out of the air.
An email and flyer were sent to parents with information on Patches and encouraging parents to let Brown know if they feel uncomfortable with their child interacting with her.
“Patches is not forced on anyone. She is optional for everyone,” Brown said.
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