INDIANAPOLIS — Students and staff members at one downtown Indianapolis Public School are now a whole lot happier with the addition of a small, furry friend.
Lucy is a mini-golden doodle who now works at Benjamin Harrison School 2 for students K-8. The 30-pound pup goes from student to student, and even the staff, to help soothe those who may be going through a stressful or overwhelming moment.
The therapy dog and her human sidekick, Chris Schlosser, are also working to create a supportive and inclusive environment for everyone by preventing feelings of isolation or loneliness while at school.
"The turnaround in a student's whole demeanor can change instantly," Schlosser said. "Kids that don't like to read volunteer to read books to Lucy. She can help them become better students by simply being there."
Lucy's journey as a therapy dog began when she was gifted to Schlosser by his own kids during the COVID-19 pandemic. He had never thought about Lucy being a therapy dog until he noticed how much of an impact she had on people when they would simply go out for walks.
"I was on a break from working at IPS and would take her to my office, and I saw immediately how she likes people and they love her," Schlosser said.
The majority of his job is creating relationships with the kids, which can take weeks, but he said Lucy has helped him tremendously speed up the process.
"Lucy should get half my pay," Schlosser said. "In most cases, it takes weeks for me to build that (relationships), but with Lucy there — if the student likes dogs — it can be just seconds."
Not only is Lucy a therapy dog, she is an "infectious spirit" that the district's counseling coordinator said teaches student about responsibility and empathy.
