Leaving your furry friends at home isn’t always easy; however, senior Xandere Adams doesn;t have to. Instead, it’s an everyday adventure to bring their fluffy golden retriever to school. Bringing their loyal companion to school was not an easy process. Although it is joyful to be able to have a dog by their side throughout the day, the main purpose is for Adam’s health and safety.
Adams is a service dog trainer who has trained over 20 service dogs, including their own dog, Key. Key was trained as a mobility service dog to help aid Adams in their day-to-day life. They got Key when she was a puppy and started to train her once she turned five weeks old. The dogs are trained for about a year and after that, they take the canines to go through the Good Citizenship Tests (CGC). If the dog passes, it will get specific training to match their new person.
“[Key] provides me with protection of my head. If I fall, she will lay her body down before I get to the ground to make sure that I don’t hit my head. If I fall and pass out, she’ll be able to go and get someone else to come and help me,” Adams said.
Adams’s day-to-day school routine is altered due to having Key by their side. In the beginning of the year, because of Key’s presence, some teachers tried to isolate Adams and Key from the rest of the class by making them sit at a table away from the other students. Also, Adams can’t leave the classroom when the bells ring in order to keep Key safe.
“It’s a little harder to move around just because there’s so many people in the hallways and most of them aren’t very respectful of her. People try to touch her or trip her,” Adams said. “So sometimes it can become a safety risk for her. I have to find other ways to go places, like I have to take the elevator unless the stairs aren’t crowded or I have to stay back from class while everyone’s going through the halls or leave before everyone goes through the halls,” Adams said.
Beyond the few teachers who were giving them a hard time, the rest were very accommodating, and to them, Key didn’t make a difference in the treatment of Adams.
“The dog is very well behaved, she comes and sits down. It doesn’t interrupt or interfere with anything so I don’t mind having it there. I think everybody was told what the service dog is for, what the rationale was and what they need to do; ignore and not touch,” biology teacher Tishya Soni said.
Being in a class with an adorable dog might seem distracting to some, but according to fellow classmates, it is not a problem for them at all.
“I don’t really care, it’s fine. It doesn’t bother me. Sometimes [it’s distracting] but I still get my work done in a regular way. Like sometimes the dog would move and they’ll tell the dog to come back but it doesn’t distract me that much,” freshman Jemma Samba said.
While it may be different seeing a dog in school, Key is more than just a pet; she is a service dog who is here to keep Adams unharmed throughout the school day. It is an exciting opportunity to accept something new as students walk through the halls.
