Boots, a greyhound, is one of Woodvale Secondary College’s earliest therapy dogs and he is now looking forward to a well-deserved retirement. Boots, who is now 10 years old, is ready to retire and enjoy life for himself after five years of comforting students and reassuring them. The school will throw him a retirement party with his favorite kids to thank him for his service.
Boots began his career as a therapy dog, calming down teenagers who were anxious. And then one day, a video of him doing his job was shared on YouTube and it quickly went viral. It started a huge media interest, and Boots became well-known all over the world. Woodvale’s therapy dog squad grew into a pack of six rescue greyhounds after that.
Every week, each greyhound is given one day to help kids improve their social skills, manage anxiety, and reduce stress through the positive pooch program.
Greyhounds, according to Boots’ owner who is also an English teacher, Liz Povah, are ideal therapy dogs because they are really calm and quite relaxed. Students actually discover that these dogs love reclining on the library sofa, and they could simply relax and play with them if they were feeling lost or uncomfortable. They may appear to be a little sluggish when compared to other therapy dogs, yet they have a keen awareness when they are required to do so.
Boots, for example, enjoys spending his days sleeping and resting. One time while at work, he fast asleep and awoke to the sound of a student crying. He awoke from his deep slumber, went up to the student, and placed his head on her lap. It was certainly one of the countless instances in which Boots has made a positive impact on a child’s life.
Now, it’s surely time for him to rest, relax, and enjoy his own life after five years of services and hundreds of youngsters helped and comforted.
Source: Perth Now