Starting on Nov. 30, two curly-haired, trained therapy dogs have been available to greet students when walking into the Wellness Center from 10 a.m. to noon every weekday. 

After ongoing support from the Saratoga Foundation and parents for the dogs’ stress relief and extra therapy possibilities, the board approved a $8,700 contract with Paws-To-Share for two therapy dogs to stay in the Wellness Center for the rest of the school year on Nov. 14. 

Paws-To-Share mission is to bring people and pets together to bring happiness to both parties. The two dogs, named Fern and Zuzu, are trained by Paws-To-Share trainer and volunteer Charlotte Lamprecht. 

Photo by Eric Shi

Fern, the large beige dog, is a certified Goldendoodle trained for anxiety and panic attacks. Zuzu, a small brown rescue dog, is a certified rescued Goldendoodle and displays her happiness by enthusiastically jumping on students.

“The beauty of a dog is they love everybody and they don’t judge us, so getting to interact with them engages your brain and body and gives you this release of well-being hormones,” Lamprecht said. 

Courtesy of Charlotte Lamprecht 

Lamprecht believes as SHS becomes increasingly academically competitive, the importance of stress relief from the wellness center becomes paramount. Moreover, Lamprecht believes the introduction of therapy dogs on campus will ultimately reduce stress.

“Our main goal is to increase the net happiness in this school, and at a minimum, reduce the stress level of the students,” Lamprecht said.