WESTMORELAND, N.Y.- For the 2024-25 school year, students and staff will see a new face with four legs walking the hallways of the Westmoreland Central School District.
Our 2-year-old yellow lab, Chiffon, is the district’s new facility dog. She and Mr. David Hoffman, the school psychologist, will make their rounds at each school every week. Hoffman has been with the district for 13 years and says the need for mental health resources has grown. “I would say especially in the last five years we’ve seen a rise in anxiety and a rise in depression.” Hoffman hopes Chiffon can help alleviate some of those struggles and leave students and staff with a smile. “There’s also a lot of research that shows that petting a dog lowers blood pressure, lowers heart rate and it creates a sense of community.”
Chiffon has been trained to be a source of comfort for those who may be struggling. For example, when Mr. Hoffman says “visit”, he holds out his hand and Chiffon places her head in it so she can get a pet. When he says “lap”, she places her front legs in his lap for a “doggie” hug. “These skills can change their entire day,” said Hoffman.
He said Chiffon will also help when it comes to attendance. He had a facility dog at the school about ten years ago and during that time, he had a student who struggled with going to school. To encourage the child to attend school, they tasked him with giving the dog water every day. “Knowing that giving the dog water daily was necessary, gave that student a reason to be at school every day.”
Ultimately, our goal is to improve the experience for everyone at the district. “Staff as well as students can have bad days, and hopefully this will brighten up their day,” said Hoffman.