LEWISTON – Lilly-Rose Casson has her own Farwell Elementary School ID badge. She has her own desk at the front of a fifth-grade classroom and her own schedule, which takes her to a special education class and through a quick tour of the sixth grade.
She also has her own water bowl, leash and Milk-Bone biscuits.
“Luckily, this is a school that likes dogs,” said Pat Casson, a fifth-grade teacher and Lilly-Rose’s owner.
Casson brings Lilly-Rose, a certified therapy dog, to school once a week.
A calm little dog, Lilly-Rose spends some of her time wandering through Casson’s classroom, delicately sniffing at sneakers and snack wrappers.
“She always tries to get into my snack,” said 11-year-old Jasmine Hatch, who spent a few minutes working on math problems with one hand and petting Lilly-Rose’s soft curls with the other.
When the fifth-graders have music class, Casson brings Lilly-Rose to a special education classroom.
There the children keep a photo of Lilly-Rose next to their calendar. They know when it’s time for a visit from the little dog.
Many of the kindergartners shout when they see her: “Willy-Wose!”
They spend 20 minutes “training” the dog, telling her to sit, stay or come. They cheer when she runs to them.
“It’s a break from the normal routine. It gives them something to look forward to,” said teaching assistant Bridget Culleton while the kids petted Lilly-Rose and chattered about pets, stuffed animals and why dogs are good.
Casson started bringing her first dog, a small mixed-breed named Molly-Sue, to school 10 years ago.
“She would always pick the kid you knew needed some extra attention and she’d stay with them,” she said.
When she wanted another therapy dog a few years ago, Casson researched different breeds. She found the Havanese, an intelligent breed that loves people and whose fur is hypoallergenic. Casson got Lilly-Rose from a Havanese breeder in Pennsylvania.
Molly-Sue, now 13, retired. Lilly-Rose, nearly 3, took over, visiting hospitals and Casson’s class.
Although Lilly-Rose eagerly tags along with Casson – and sometimes ambles alone through a classroom or two – she can get overwhelmed by the attention of 320 schoolchildren. When that happens, she retreats to a cushioned spot under a reserved desk at the front of Casson’s room. Or she simply begs to be picked up.
“This is a dog that loves to be held,” Casson said.
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