By Shannon McFarlin WENK/WTPR News Director
Paris, Tenn.—Tuesday night’s Paris Special Schools District meeting really went to the dogs—in the best way.
The board had the opportunity to meet the district’s new therapy dogs—Buster Crosser and Jack Brewer—who work with their owners, School Resource Officer Sgt. Eddie Crosser at Paris Elementary School and School Resource Officer Sgt. Michelle Brewer at Rhea Elementary.
As reported by WENK/WTPR last week, Buster and Jack started working at the schools with the new school year and Sheriff Monte Belew said, “They’re worth their weight in gold.”
Belew brought his K9 Si to the meeting also and said both Buster and Jack are rescues and Sgt. Ricky Wade, a master trainer, has been training them to serve as therapy dogs through the summer.
Brewer told the board there have been two instances in which Jack has calmed down students at Rhea who were having melt-down situations. She shared the story of one kindergartner who had a melt down and was in the intervention room and when she got to the room, he was “upset and uncontrollable”. The boy was facing the wall and hitting himself and Brewer took Jack off the leash. “I just let Jack go and he went right to the boy and the boy just lit up. In less than a minute” the boy was calm and stayed calm the rest of the day, she said. The boy then took Jack back to his room and introduced him to everybody, she said.
Another boy went under a table and wouldn’t come out and Jack went under the table with him and calmed him down. “I’ve seen it work twice now and I just wanted to let you know that it works,” Brewer said.
Jack, she said, “is the rock star at Rhea. Everybody loves him.”
Crosser said Buster “has been great therapy for the kids and the staff, too. He is a rescue dog and we have no idea what happened to him before we got him, but he loves kids and at the end of the day, he’s exhausted. I think it’s a good program.”
For Buster, Paris Elementary “is his home away from home. He has a bed and his food and water. He loves coming to work.” Buster even wears a photo ID around his neck.
Both Brewer and Crosser said they believed the dogs have had a positive effect on the staff as well as the kids.
Belew said the Henry County Sheriff’s Office now has seven working dogs of different types. “We take care of their veterinary and maintenance care.” He said the sheriff’s office is happy to have the pilot program for the therapy dogs in cooperation with the school system. “We hope it’s beneficial to everybody,” he said.
Photo: From left, seated Eddie Crosser and Buster; Michelle Brewer and Jack; and Monte Belew and Si. (Shannon McFarlin photo).
Menu
