[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 101 (Friday, June 9, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E539]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE BRIGHTON AREA SCHOOLS SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING DOGS 
                                PROGRAM

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ELISSA SLOTKIN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, June 9, 2023

  Ms. SLOTKIN. Mr. Speaker, today I pay tribute to a group of 
dedicated, devoted, and darling therapists who just happen to have four 
legs. The Brighton Area Schools Social and Emotional Learning Dogs, or 
``BAS Pack of Dogs,'' as they are better known, are celebrating 15 
years of service to the district and to the community, and in that time 
this program has become a source of pride for the district and a model 
for the state and the Nation.
  But before there was a pack, there was a dog, a teacher, and an idea. 
In 2008, middle school special education teacher Karen Storey witnessed 
the positive response kids had to a fellow teacher's dog. That prompted 
her to research the physical, social, and emotional benefits of therapy 
dogs on students. Spurred by her research, she approached then-
superintendent Greg Gray with a proposal to add a therapy dog to the 
building. Less than a decade later, with the full support of the 
community, Brighton became the only district in the State to own a 
therapy dog for every single building, and several for the high school.
  Over the years, the dogs have become cherished educational 
assistants, eager to lend a paw when students need extra comfort, a 
non-judgmental reading partner, or just a friendly and slightly 
slobbery face. And like furry first responders, the Pack of Dogs will 
hit the road whenever duty calls, offering love and support to grieving 
students and teachers across the State when tragedy strikes. I saw this 
firsthand in the wake of the deadly school shooting in Oxford in 
November of 2021. For weeks, all 13 members of the Pack of Dogs and 
their handlers traveled 50 miles each way to comfort traumatized 
students, absorbing tears into their shiny coats, and gently reminding 
everyone, one loving nuzzle at a time, of the good that still existed 
in the world. And they did it again in February 2023, when Michigan 
State University was similarly shattered by yet another deadly 
shooting. Not only has the Pack of Dogs shown up for other schools, but 
the program regularly fields calls from school districts around the 
Nation who want to replicate this success, seeking advice from the 
leaders of the Pack.
  From community donations of funds, food, veterinary care, and so much 
more that make this program possible, to the handlers who welcome these 
dogs into their homes, to the students who welcome them into their 
hearts, the BAS Pack of Dogs is a model for schools nationwide, and its 
founders deserve to be named Top Dog.
  In celebration of 15 years of canine collaboration, I salute the BAS 
Pack of Dogs and its humans for the profound difference they have made 
in the lives of so many. It may be true that you can't teach an old dog 
new tricks, but a Pack of Dogs can clearly teach all of us new ways of 
thinking. As man's best friend, it is only fitting that I honor the 
contributions of the BAS Pack of Dogs.

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