Move over recess. A tail-wagging friend with bear-sized paws is giving students a new way to shake off stress.
Certified therapy dog Lukas Edward Henry started winning over students and staff at The Episcopal School of Dallas (ESD) with his calm presence and playful personality shortly after joining the community.
The Bernese mountain dog lives on campus with the school’s head of security, Jody Trumble, who has spent more than a decade patrolling ESD’s campus in her golf cart. She now has an extra set of paws at her side.
Young students on their way to lunch stop in the hallway for what Trumble calls “drive-by pets,” and older students often flop onto the floor next to the resident cuddle expert when visiting the study commons.
“If it takes me five minutes to walk across campus, then it would take me 30 minutes with Lukas because of how many times the kids will stop us to love on him,” Trumble said.
Lukas’ journey to becoming an ESD staff member started when he was just nine weeks old. Trumble spent over a year training him, guiding him through a rigorous certification process with the Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD). That meant applications, background checks, supervised field tests in bustling spots like Home Depot and a rehab hospital, and careful monitoring by ATD-certified trainers, Trumble explained.
Now an officially credentialed therapy dog and a bona fide pro at spreading joy, Lukas has a busy schedule — and his own calendar. Helping students with tasks, from keeping test-takers calm to accompanying young readers hesitant to practice out loud to the podium, is all part of a day’s work for the beloved pup.
Staff can also book him for classroom visits or special events. Lukas recently added a brush with literary fame to his repertoire when he met author McCall Hoyle, known for books including Stella, Just Gus, Millie, and Forever Ripley, which feature the very kind of canine heroes that Lukas embodies.
His calming presence has become the school’s ultimate mood booster and a daily reminder that a wagging tail can turn any day around. The Eagle’s Nest, the school’s popular gift shop, even sells Lukas t-shirts — proof that everyone wants a little piece of his furry charm.
Dr. Cara Holmes, the school’s director of emotional wellness and learning support, has witnessed the pup’s positive impact. “Lukas radiates calmness and joy. He lives on campus, and his regular visits to classrooms integrate him into the community,” she said.
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