BY MATT MACKINDER
Clarkston News Editor

As more of an onus gets placed on mental health, especially in schools with students and staff dealing with the ever-changing educational environment at home and in the school buildings, Clarkston Community Schools has been proactive in bringing therapy dogs to Pine Knob Elementary.
Eighteen-month-old Black Labradors Charlie and Vinny are at the school five days a week visiting various classrooms. The district has aspirations to bring in more dogs over the next year that will encompass all school buildings.
“There is just a connection kids have with dogs, just having someone that can look at them and love them no matter what,” said Staci Puzio, the district’s director of student growth and well-being.

The dogs are trained by owners Kristy and Tom Green to know and react to sights and sounds in classrooms.
“We have seen that when these dogs are in the classrooms that kids’ anxiety and energy levels do go down,” said Kristy Green. “We’ve been called out to tragic situations and even from kids being with the dogs for ten minutes, they just feel so much better.”
Allison Stoyek is a Special Education teacher at Pine Knob and said the dogs are a huge benefit to the students.
“Specifically this year with everything that’s been going on, this just starts the day off positive,” said Stoyek. “We greet the students when they come in and they get to see and pet Vinny. They are smiling and it just sets them up for a good day.”

Brielle Schnur, a second grade student in Jennifer VanDenBrouck’s class at Pine Knob, said Charlie helps her tremendously.
“When I feel said, I look at Charlie, and he is so cute,” Schnur said. “He makes me feel better and he likes listening to me.”
“Charlie makes school fun,” added classmate Amelia Duffy. “He always listens and doesn’t tell me if I am reading good or bad.
“He just listens.”