As Stephanie Parry’s car rolls up to the high school every Wednesday, she hears the overjoyed whimper of the dog in the backseat. Finn, an emotional support dog with whom she works, cannot wait for his day surrounded by loving students.

Finn, who visits every T- and X-block, is one of two support dogs that visit the high school. His presence, along with that of Rafi, the other support dog, was made possible by the Support Animal Committee. In 2018, the committee began advocating for support dogs to come to the high school and pushing to get staff members’ dogs certified to be able to visit on a more regular basis.

Maura McGill, the librarian at 22 Tappan and a member of the Support Animal Committee, believes that the support dogs are beneficial primarily because of the stress relief they offer to students. She said she advocated for the addition of Rafi, who began visiting before December break.

“Being able to focus on something that is not an academic situation or a high-pressure social situation and just being with an animal can offer a lot of stress relief,” McGill said. “And a dog is not going to judge you.”

The Alliance of Therapy Dogs certified Rafi as an emotional support dog. Amy Brockel, a member of this nonprofit, said they have about 18,000 dogs registered to visit schools and other facilities. She also said that the dogs offer relief to the stress in students’ lives, which can even benefit learning abilities.

“Studies have shown a decrease in both blood pressure and stress levels during therapy dog visits. This alone can be particularly beneficial in the classroom because stress and anxiety can contribute to deficits in both formation and retrieval of memories,” Brockel said.

The Support Animal Committee is presently attempting to have staff members certify their pets as emotional support dogs. Guidance counselor and Support Animal Committee member Ellen Herz said doing so would ensure consistent availability of support animals for students.

“I like that idea because then you know that there’s going to be an animal here consistently, for a long period of time, because it’s a staff member,” Herz said. “It’s not somebody who’s volunteering and might have other obligations. Other districts like Natick and Framingham have permanent dogs with staff members.”

McGill said she thinks the high school is behind the curve, with respect to having therapy dogs in school.

“There are a lot of other schools that have had a therapy dog assigned to them for years, or regularly visiting for years and years, and not just on a totally volunteer basis,” McGill said. “So, we’re a little bit behind, but we’re getting there.”

Winthrop House social worker and Support Animal Committee member Annie Eagle is currently in the process of getting certified to bring her dog to school. The dog is being trained in behaviors specific to a school setting, such as stopping at doorways or being calm when entering a big group of kids. Eagle said she has been excited to start this process since getting a dog.

“I had always wanted to have my dog trained to either go into hospitals or schools. I have three kids, so she’s been around kids ever since she came home with us. She’s used to people petting her all the time and being in her space,” Eagle said. “I would love to be able to bring her to work.”

What sparked Parry was working with students who have special needs, to whom she said the therapy dogs can offer specific help.

“Lots of times, students with special needs are working on social skills or social pragmatics, and they’ve had experiences with people where it’s tough to make friends. A dog is just absolutely welcome to anyone with open arms and an open heart,” Parry said. “What’s different about a dog is the unconditional acceptance they can give.”

Herz said that in the surveys the Support Animal Committee has conducted assessing people’s reactions to the therapy dogs, they have gotten overwhelmingly positive feedback from students and staff. She encouraged everybody who hasn’t yet met Finn or Rafi to try it out.

“Meet one of these dogs and see how you feel about them before making any type of judgment,” Herz said. “The majority of people are really happier and calmer after they are with an animal.”