When students begin classes in the new Mountain Valley Community School on Monday, Jan. 26, they’ll be walking in step with a 7-month-old pug named Murph.

The district’s newest four-legged staffer belongs to Rumford Elementary School fifth grade teacher Amanda Bryant.

Murph has been allowed at Rumford Elementary since last year because Bryant, of Bryant Pond, had to feed the sickly pup around the clock.

“Murph came into my life as a 5-week-old rescue, weighing in at just about 2 pounds, a tiny, fragile life that could fit entirely within the palm of my hand,” Bryant said. “The prognosis from the veterinarian was grim; because she had been separated from her mother too soon and wasn’t feeding, she wasn’t expected to survive. She was too little, too sickly, too lethargic to make it.”

Bryant said what followed was a lot of midnight feedings, constant vigilance and a quiet pact between a teacher who refused to give up and a brave little pug.

“With the grace of my principal, Murph spent her first weeks in my classroom, tucked away on a tiny dog bed where she could receive the around-the-clock care she needed to live,” Bryant said.

Bryant recalled that oftentimes, Murph would be snuggled by other teachers in the hallway who also fell in love with her, being great co-workers and showing a “family” bond that happens when you work in a small community.

By June, the “failure to thrive” label was a distant memory. She said Murph hadn’t just survived but had surpassed every expectation, growing into the healthy, “snortle-heavy and vibrant pug she was always meant to be.”

By mid-May, Murph had made it to 4 pounds, and then 6 pounds by the end of June. At that point, Bryant said she knew Murph was going to be OK.

While Murph was fighting and growing, Bryant said she was researching. While attending the annual summit for educators over the summer at Thomas College in Waterville, she met Jennie Dapice, an assistant professor of occupational therapy and a faculty fellow at the Tufts Center for Animals and Public Policy/Tufts Initiative for Human-Animal Interaction in Grafton, Massachusetts.

“I began to see Murph not just as a pet, but as a professional partner, or the potential for one,” she said. “I had a class session that was about half a day or so with (Dapice) where I learned a lot about laws required for therapy pets, benefits of therapy pets in a school setting, etc.”

While many schools view therapy dogs as “crisis responders” brought in after tragedies occur, Bryant said her goal was different: “Integration.”

“Using peer-reviewed insights and rigorous standards including working toward the AKC Canine Good Citizen certification, I developed a comprehensive classroom policy,” she said.

The policy stated that students could opt in or out of participation, or they could choose to have contact but must wash their hands due to allergies or sensitivities.

“I am proud to say we have had 100% of students with either no restrictions or hand washing only. There has not been one ‘no contact’ form returned,” she said.

With so much interest outside of grade 5, Bryant said she sent permission slips home with other students who may want to visit with Murph.

“She truly has touched lives well beyond those in grade 5 alone,” Bryant said.

Bryant has been teaching since 2020. She is working toward her teaching principal certification.

She said every step has been taken to ensure that Murph’s presence is as safe as it is meaningful.

“I think it is important to know that it’s not just the students who look forward to seeing her every day, though. We make our rounds during my breaks,” she said. “We visit various spots like the office and some of Murph’s most loved humans so she can work on her skills like sitting and waiting so she can earn a treat.”

Bryant said Murph has become a “fixture of our school culture.”

“She has ridden the bus, she attends assemblies and has become a ‘local celebrity’ whose absence is felt by the entire student body,” she said. “If she ‘plays hooky,’ the hallways feel just a little bit quieter.”

She noted Murph’s journey “remains a testament to what happens when we lead with compassion. Murph didn’t just survive against the odds — she grew up to help our students do the same.

As Bryant prepares for the move to Mountain Valley Community School later this month, so is Murph.

“Murph is working hard on her list of training must-haves to go to school so she will be ready come summer for her next training adventure,” she said.