Attleboro School Welcomes Macy, the Goldendoodle Therapy Dog

From left to right, Patriot Subaru General Sales Manager Matt D’Ambra, Thacher Elementary School Adjustment Counselor Meghan Murphy, student James Piskule, goldendoodle therapy dog Macy, Assistant Principal Sarah Desautel, student Alena Buchanan, Patriot Subaru Managing Partner Mark Perryman, and Principal Frank Rich. (Photo courtesy Attleboro Public Schools)

ATTLEBORO — Superintendent David Sawyer and Principal Frank Rich are pleased to share that Thacher Elementary School recently welcomed a goldendoodle named Macy as its new therapy dog.

Macy has already made a difference with students since she first visited the school on Nov. 6. She will soon become a permanent fixture at Thacher Elementary School after she goes through an intensive, 10-day training program beginning on Dec. 2. Macy will then be available on a daily basis to offer support to students and faculty, providing gentle canine interactions to ease nerves and create a calm, judgment-free environment.

“She has already made a huge impact,” Principal Rich said. “She will be attending a full training beginning the first week of December, but we’ve had her coming to school to help her get used to all the noises, smells, and general hustle and bustle of the school.”

The addition of Macy to the Thacher Elementary family was made possible through funds donated for the dog’s adoption fee by Patriot Subaru of North Attleboro, including Managing Partner Mark Perryman and General Sales Manager Matt D’Ambra. Macy came from Indiana through the organization The Family Bred Puppies.

“It was an honor to help out with this program, combining two of our loves — dogs and learning,” Patriot Subaru said in a statement about the charitable donation.

Macy’s handlers will primarily include Meghan Murphy, the school’s adjustment counselor, and Assistant Principal Sarah Desautel.

Macy will be especially beneficial at Thacher Elementary School, which is home to Project Success, a program for the community’s medically fragile students, and the Insights Program, a separate program for Attleboro students with a primary diagnosis of autism.

Thus far, Macy has been made available via the “earns” system, in which students can earn time with the goldendoodle by meeting the requirements of their behavior plan.

“We plan to use her to help with students with anxiety who may be struggling to come to school or struggling with their emotions in school,” Assistant Principal Desautel said. “There are many possibilities that we plan to explore. We would like to investigate having Macy help increase students’ social skills, empathy, patience, and kindness.”

One initiative under consideration for the therapy dog, who is expected to return to Thacher following the winter holiday break, is a Read to Macy program aimed at helping reluctant or struggling readers by having them sit and read to the comfort canine.

In the meantime, the 5-month-old Macy will be undergoing her training at Professional Canine Services in Middleborough.

Attleboro Public Schools have previously dabbled with therapy dogs, including visits by therapy dog Willow, a goldendoodle owned by central office administrator Joanne DiPalma.

“While she was here, we had a student struggling to regulate his emotions,” Assistant Principal Desautel said. “The second he saw Willow, his entire demeanor changed. He visibly relaxed, smiled, and sat on the floor near Willow. He was able to return to class after only a short visit with Willow.”

Studies show that having therapy dogs in schools provides many benefits, including: 

• Enhance memory, problem-solving skills, and executive functioning.
• Encourage children to take more risks in learning.
• Help students refocus on tasks and calm those who are upset.
• Lift spirits and lessen depression.
• Improve self-esteem and make people laugh.
• Increase interest in school activities.
• Provide comfort to students, victims, witnesses, and adults involved in critical or traumatic events.
• Lower blood pressure, reduce fatigue, and improve fine motor skills.
• Motivate daily exercise and improve health for those with physical and mental disabilities.
• Decrease feelings of isolation and increase communication.
• Calm and relax those in need, helping people overcome a fear of dogs.
• Improve social-emotional learning (SEL), cognitive processing, and reading skills, with studies showing a 12-30 percent increase in reading fluency.
• Relieve stress and anxiety, elevate mood, and boost serotonin and dopamine levels.
• Teach responsibility, compassion, and respect for living things.

“I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity to bring a therapy dog to Thacher Elementary School,” Superintendent Sawyer said. “Macy is such a calm, charming, and intelligent dog. I am confident that she will be an invaluable asset to the well-being of our students and staff.”

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