Over the past month, there have been several new additions on campus: Dogs! Several faculty members have started to bring their dogs to campus, and the overall response from the KO community has been very positive, as most enjoy spending time with them whether to relieve stress or to simply spend time away from the realities of life with a cute animal.
Bear, Cali, and Maggie are the dogs that so many students look forward to seeing when they are on campus. Bear is a 10-year-old goldendoodle who belongs to Dean of Students Krista Sahrbeck. Bear, who is both a companion and a social-emotional support animal for Ms. Sahrbeck, has a calm demeanor and is very friendly. She never shies away from attention. Bear also has the ability to read those in her surrounding environment and react to certain situations.
For example, she knows when she can play soccer with Ms. Sahrbeck’s team and when she’s in Ms. Sahrbeck’s office and gets to rest for a while. “I like to think that [having Bear on campus] has helped a lot, as I know it’s most certainly helped me meet and know more people on campus,” Ms. Sahrbeck said. “I’d like to think that having her on campus is beneficial to the community as a whole as well.”
Cali is a five-year-old golden retriever who belongs to Upper School English teacher David Hild. “I decided to bring her…because there is a lot of stress and anxiety right now,” Mr. Hild said, “and for a lot of people, I’ll include myself in that mix, dogs really help to lessen that anxiety and stress.” Cali has grown up surrounded by kids, so she is used to and enjoys coming to school.
“The kids in my classes really like having her here, my advisees like it, and actually a lot of kids I don’t even teach or know will stop by just to say hello,” he said. Students certainly enjoy having Cali come to school, even if they don’t have a class with her, as she brightens up many people’s days.
Maggie is Upper School science teacher Lisa Bailey’s dog, and she is a stress reliever for Ms. Bailey as well as for other students. “There is scientific evidence that the actual physical act of petting an animal releases chemicals that reduce stress,” Mrs. Bailey said. Although some students might not be comfortable with dogs, the majority of students enjoy having Maggie come to classes. “[Students] really say that she makes them happier when she’s here and, again, they like spending time with her,” Ms. Bailey said.
Students have responded well to the dogs on campus thus far and feel that they truly are great stress relievers for many people. “I love seeing the faculty dogs because it’s really fun to play with them, and it can help lower my stress from COVID, homework, etc,” sophomore Alice McClure said. Sophomore Charlotte Eberlee agreed. “I find that every time I see one of the faculty dogs on campus, I can’t help but smile,” she said.
