Cab Calloway Article | PAWS for People

PAWS at the Cab Calloway School of the Arts – A Standing O for DeStress

The aftermath of COVID is like an abstract piece of art which is open to interpretation, but one very clear outcome of the pandemic is the amount of worry, stress and grief that students are facing in the classroom and beyond. For PAWS, this has meant an influx in requests for pet therapy at schools throughout the region, including the Cab Calloway School of the Arts.

Megan Kidwell, Middle School Counselor, saw the impact the PAWS for People teams had at a special event for the Charter School and requested more information about the PAWS DeStress Program.

Several emails, calls and a ZOOM later, the first set of PAWS teams gathered at the school to help reduce stress and anxiety and offer a reassuring presence for staff and students alike.

The response to the PAWS teams has been like a well-choreographed dance … expressive and appreciated.

Testimonials from Students

“The dogs were super cute and calm. I have a little bit of dog trauma from the past after being bitten by an angry husky pretty bad in the hand. I hoped that the paws program would not only make me feel better, but to ease my fear of petting dogs after what happened last time. I definitely do better with calm, playful dogs versus aggressive, quiet, or too energetic dogs. At first, when I met the first dog, I was more hesitant about petting it, and I only pet it a few times. The second visit that day, it was a golden retriever and I know that golden retrievers are more calm. Dagda was really pretty, and he was playful and had happy, youthful eyes. But he was also pretty calm, which calmed me. I pushed myself to pet Dagda more, and he was fine, so I kept giving him massage-like pets, and he seemed to enjoy it. I think that the paws program, made me happier and eased me to get over my trauma for petting dogs. I would be really happy if the Paws program could come back to Cab more often, to make me more comfortable around dogs.”

“I love petting the dogs and they just make me so happy and they really impact me whenever I have a bad day and you also never know what dog you are visiting so it’s like a little surprise!!”
“I liked having a break from classes to take a breather and petting the dogs really calmed down any nerves”
“The dogs were all adorable and they were so warmhearted and welcoming, they all came with a little background story too!”

The visits had the right balance and composition for the staff as well!

Testimonials from Staff

I know the data that supports having Therapy Animals in school buildings but witnessing the impact firsthand is something completely different. During the day we had PAWS in the building, I saw our students be kids for the first time this year. They were smiling, giggling, asking questions, taking selfies, and overall enjoying being present with the Handlers and Animals. The COIVD-19 Pandemic has taken so much from so many of our students and staff, but the PAWS for People program gave back a sense of hope and normalcy. Our staff and students are looking forward to having the PAWS Therapy Teams back in the building at the end of the month. -Megan Kidwell, School Counselor

“Coming back from COVID, our students have had many obstacles to overcome- ones that we adults never had to face, particularly at their age. I have not seen the students light up like this since 2020. Buster was such a good sport and ready for the love. The kids loved talking to him and he would talk back! Piper was so sweet and docile- the kids could pet her for hours. The giggles, squeals, and smiles are what we’ve so desperately been missing. I can’t wait to be able to expand this to more of our kids to give them this spot of joy.” – Emily Ciuffetelli

“Having PAWS in the building this week was definitely a boon to my day. I have been struggling the last couple of months with the regular hustle and bustle. Our family also lost a loved one to suicide, last year and the anniversary is approaching. Somehow, petting a dog is calming, centering, and uplifting all at the same time. I’m grateful they’re coming in for the kids, but glad that I could take advantage of spending some time with the pups, too. ” Elizabeth Inman-Moran

I am the librarian at Cab Calloway and we have been having PAWS come in for a few weeks and the students (and teachers) are absolutely loving it! The dogs are so sweet and their human companions are so respectful. We look forward to every other Tuesday when they are here 🙂” Jen Boyd

Bravissimo! to the teams that have visited the school so far and helped make a difference: Bezey & Susan Baddorf, Baxter & Jenn Brucker, Naomi & Jamye Cole, Marigold & Eileen Clark, Buster & Trish Fronczkowski, Mr. Gibbs & Tawanda Harbison, Dagda & Bob Jarvis, Louis & Sheri Jenkins, Olive & Margaret Minkwitz, Delaney Bleu & Lynn Porro, Willow & Dawn Riley, Roger & Kai Scott, Wally & Peggy Siple, Jessie Mae & Judy Springer, Piper & Angie Taylor.

The DeStress sessions at Cab Calloway School of the Arts will be continuing 2 days per month until the end of the school year. Feedback from the students and staff about the visits is certainly music to the ears!