FEB. 10, 2022 — Sparkle and Twinkle surely lit up the eyes of students and staff on Wednesday, Feb. 9 when they made a special visit to the district.
The two Havanese dogs — each adorned with their own tuft of colorful, dyed hair on their ears and tail — waddled into the Middle/High School's main entrance to a chorus of "oohs" and "aahs."
They're members of RocDog, a non-profit organization made up of volunteers with certified therapy dogs who bring their furry friends to places like schools, libraries, hospitals and nursing homes. And on Wednesday, several RocDogs made a visit to Lyons to spend time snuggling with students and staff.
Paul Anthony, RocDog's founder, said he founded the group in March of 2021. His initial goal was to have a dozen dogs in the organization within the first 12 months, but the group quickly grew and far surpassed his hopes — now, more than 90 volunteers and 60 dogs are part of RocDog.
"Obviously, kids that are struggling and that are in trouble, it's a great resource. But actually, for all students (the therapy dogs) are a great resource," Mr. Anthony said. "I think for all students, life is stressful … so it’s fun to go spend a few minutes with a therapy dog."
Linda McQueen, one of the volunteers and Sparkle and Twinkle's owner, said therapy dogs bring a lot of joy to students in school settings. She originally became involved with training therapy dogs after her spouse underwent surgery and she took their dog, Twinkle, to visit him in the rehabilitation center.
"When I went there with Twinkle and we walked down the halls, I could just see the joy that it brought people," Ms. McQueen said. "For me, I’m retired, and volunteering with RocDog gives me a purpose."
Lyons Superintendent Dr. Matthew Barr said the RocDog visit is just one of many ways the district is working to help foster a warm and comfortable learning environment for students and staff.
"The benefits of therapy dogs are widely known, particularly in a school environment," Dr. Barr said. "Interactions with certified therapy dogs can help students decrease anxiety, lower stress levels and develop coping skills in stressful situations. We're happy to welcome the RocDog volunteers into our school community."