‘They’re a friend’: 3 facility dogs now part of Trussville City Schools

Trussville City Schools Interim Superintendent Frank Costanzo’s first visitor at a November 2022 work session had four legs.

“When I got here this morning, the first thing was there was a dog in my office,” Costanzo said. “I felt right at home.”

Costanzo called himself a “dog lover,” the owner of a chocolate Labrador. The four-legged work session attendee was Blanche, the newest Trussville City Schools facility dog assigned to Paine Elementary School. Blanche, whose first day at Paine was Nov. 7, will turn three years old on May 5. Paine Elementary School had been on a waiting list for three years with Service Dogs of Alabama before Assistant Principal Maggie Jensen and speech teacher Amanda Hatcher attended a five-day training to meet Blanche.

“The best parts are seeing Blanche interact with the children,” Jensen said. “I have seen firsthand how she really is there for our students. Blanche has already been comforting some of our students that struggle with anxiety, a loss of a grandparent and those just having a rough day. She has helped the teachers and [administrators] when we are stressed. When Blanche is working, she is calm and supportive of the students, but when she is not working, she is all puppy just wanting to have a good time.”

The school system’s other two facility dogs are Skye at Hewitt-Trussville High School and Bullet at Hewitt-Trussville Middle School. Both came to Trussville City Schools in May 2021. Skye lives with freshman guidance counselor Laura Stalls, and Bullet makes his home with counselor Krista DeMent.

“She has fit right into the school and my family,” Stalls said. “She loves all of the students and faculty and likes hanging out in the counseling suite and sometimes in different classrooms. She has a way of finding students who need extra attention even when they haven’t given any outward signs of stress or emotion. It’s been great having a faculty dog in the counseling suite for a lot of reasons, but one of the best is that students are more comfortable talking and opening up when she is in the room. She also gives students another reason to come visit the counselors, and we love that.”

Bullet’s birthday is Feb. 18, when he will turn 6. There will be a celebration at Hewitt-Trussville Middle School.

“We are planning to do a photo booth during lunch periods for students to get their pictures made with Bullet,” DeMent said. “We did this last year and the kids absolutely loved it. Since we are such a large school, we will do a few smaller celebrations so that kids can participate. His ‘official’ birthday party will be with several of our leadership groups, where we will sing ‘Happy Birthday’ and have cupcakes. And, of course, he'll have a celebration with his fur friends at home. We love to party with the pups.”

DeMent has two other dogs at home, Shortstop and Annie. Bullet fits in well.

“We honestly cannot imagine our home without Bullet in it,” DeMent said. “He is different at home. While he is still the most well behaved of the three, he is off duty and gets to just be a normal dog. He is a great cuddler and loves to chase balls and chew on bones.”

Bullet was originally being trained as a service dog for veterans with PTSD, but when a socializer took him to a school, how well he did with children was obvious. He comforts students who have lost loved ones by putting his head in their laps. He follows special-needs students as they blow bubbles and watches them at the Special Olympics. He was “obsessed” with a parent in his National Guard uniform, eventually lying across his boots.

“Later, we received a message from the man's wife, which stated that he has recently returned from deployment and was under a tremendous amount of stress,” DeMent said. “She was amazed that Bullet recognized this and provided such a comfort to him while at the school.”

Cahaba Elementary and Magnolia Elementary schools are now the only schools in the system without facility dogs. It seems likely that will change at some point in the future.

“I think any school that has the opportunity to have a facility dog should seize the opportunity,” Jensen said. “Watching Blanche interact with our students and seeing her interact with those that are truly having a hard time is so rewarding. Each day it reminds me why we have her. Students do not always want to talk to the adults when something is bothering them, but they enjoy opening up to Blanche knowing that the adult is still listening. Students like reading to Blanche, and Blanche loves to listen. She is there to comfort and love.”

Costanzo praised the connection between dog and human.

“What a great opportunity and addition,” he said. “You really don’t know. You see it when a dog touches someone’s life. They’re a friend. They’re there with you through thick and thin. What a great relationship.”