Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Third graders Asa Angert, left, Meeghan Moore and Vivian Knecht pet Huntley, 2, the new facility dog at Vestavia Hills Elementary School Liberty Park in May.
The halls at Vestavia Hills Elementary Liberty Park became a bit brighter this May when Huntley, the school’s new facility dog, made her first appearance.
“Watching Huntley interact with students has already been such a gift,” art teacher Laura Beale said. “I have loved to watch coworkers’ and students’ faces light up when they spot her coming. She is a ray of contagious sunshine.”
Beale is Huntley’s caretaker and has been caring for her over the summer.
“Huntley moved into a new home with a new family, started a new job and made hundreds of brand new best friends in a very short window of time,” Beale said. “It was a big transition for our girl. My students and I had some great conversations about empathy her first week at school. I am so grateful that we have had the summer to get to know each other a little better.”
The Labrador retriever came from Service Dogs Alabama, which is in Hope Hull (near Montgomery).
Ashley Taylor, co-founder and program director of Service Dogs Alabama, was Huntley’s trainer before she was certified to serve as a facility dog.
“The dogs have to be 2 years of age, so they are in training with us for two years,” Taylor said. “The dogs go through training, and they also spend two different times in a female prison facility in north Florida to learn a bit more one-on-one professional training. After we work with the dogs, we make a decision if they will be better suited for service work or for facility work. In Huntley’s case, she was a bit more friendly, so we felt like she would be better suited for facility work.”
Service Dogs Alabama currently has about 40 working facility dogs throughout the state, who annually interact with around 24,000 people at their schools.
The dogs are trained with 30 to 45 commands and cannot graduate from the program with Service Dogs Alabama until they have completed all the required training.
Taylor said there are many benefits to having a facility dog, including an increase in attendance, a decrease of in-office referrals, increases in reading and math scores, stress reduction and the calming effect the dogs have.
Facility dogs work full-time in one place, while service dogs intermittently visit a variety of locations.
“A dog is very inclusive so no matter what social circle a child may fit in, that dog will interact with those students equally,” Taylor said. “The dogs serve as a way to really bring everyone together.”
For the 2024-25 school year, Huntley will spend much of her time with Beale in the art studio, but she will also be available to any students who are in need of extra comfort or a break from their day.
“Huntley’s work may not always be obvious; for example, she may respond to anxiety, fear or sadness by lying near a student or asking for belly rubs,” Beale said. “Her proximity may alert an adult to a problem or simply help the student to regulate their emotions in the moment.”
Beale said Huntley has spent a good bit of her summer lying in the sunshine with her new brother and sister, Chester and Maple, Beale’s other dog and cat.
She is also eager to return to the classroom and see her host of friends at the school.
“I think my husband was the first to say, ‘Oh, she is just a dog,’” Beale said. “I’m not sure what we expected, but it is just so easy to be with and around Huntley. Her training is incredible, and she has the most tender demeanor. She is also just an adorable, silly, snuggly, tail-thumping, loud-snoring, kiss-giving, super-special dog. We are all crazy about our girl.”
For more information about Service Dogs Alabama, go online to servicedogsalabama.org.
To follow Huntley’s journey on social media, visit @Huntleythevhelper on Instagram.
