My life as a vice- principal and teacher of students with special needs is hectic. I worried that raising a puppy would be problematic. My test was to do a 2 month trial with Amber ll from the yellow litter and see how it went. Without question, a puppy at school works! Enter Peony, a golden retriever puppy from the Bush Litter who joined our staff January 2016.

A few years ago, I was off work for an extended period of time and was fighting my way back to mental health. The most challenging part of the process was leaving the house. What would motivate me? Dogs. Volunteering at the Advanced Kennels was perfect for me.

What nobody realized yet, was that Mac had already made his choice. He bonded with that volunteer and made it clear over the months of advanced training, that he had chosen her as his person. He did well in class and moved forward in the program, but he was a different, happier dog when the volunteer came to the yellow compound.