CHULA VISTA, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) At Howard Gardner Community School in Chula Vista, the most popular student is just 8 months old.
Thunder, the therapy dog, is a Siberian Husky mix with a gentle disposition: Changing the lives of young learners.
“Upon my arrival, I noticed that although we provide a lot of what the kids need, there was something lacking,” mentioned Kat Shaw, the Executive Director of Howard Gardner Community School.
Shaw considered that adding a dog might be the ideal solution and started fostering Thunder. Bringing him to the school, she realized that he was exactly what the students needed.
“Kids would say, ‘Hey, I’m upset, can I come in, cry it out, and play with the dog? ‘” Shaw said.
Due to the overwhelmingly positive interaction he had with the students, it was an easy decision: Thunder would become a part of her family and a permanent presence at the school, even sporting his own ID badge.
“We decided to adopt him,” Shaw said.
The school operates as its own district, sanctioned by the county, and was established in 2012 to accommodate various learning styles. Moreover, it addresses a substantial need within the community.
“We deal with everything that everybody else deals with, but it’s very concentrated here,” Shaw said. “We have a high need.”
With a 20 percent homeless population, students at Howard Gardner face many invisible challenges outside the classroom.
“We have families living in their cars, and others with ten people in a single-bedroom home,” Shaw noted. “Many children deal with trauma, and they gravitate towards him for comfort.”
But even the hardest days and toughest emotions are softened by cuddles from their furry friend, Thunder.
“They come in with a lot, and sometimes they just need to decompress, so it is Thunder time in the morning,” Shaw said.
Students can use their hard-earned points for good work in school to spend time with Thunder, take selfies with him, or even treat him to a spa day.
“I think that he’s having fun here and he doesn’t have no problems,” one student said.
During his spa day, the gentle giant even got his teeth brushed, followed by a sweet treat and a nap for a job well done.
“Attendance has skyrocketed,” Shaw remarked. “Enrollment has increased significantly. We welcome everyone, regardless of who they are, with warmth and love.”
Enrollment is now so high that the school is looking to expand so it can serve even more students, and is fundraising for a new building. Information about the fundraiser can be found on the school’s social media.
