It was a typical day in Donna Del Moro’s Senior English classes on Wednesday, Dec. 6.  Well, typical until Sarge trotted into the room.

“That puppy made my day 1,000 times better,” said Maddy Flynn. “It was the best surprise ever.”

Students in Del Moro’s 7th & 8th-period classes were treated with an early Christmas present: a visit from Sarge, a German Shephard owned by Dr. Mati Sicherer, one of Hills’ guidance counselors. Sicherer will make her dog available every other Wednesday during the afternoon to provide some much-needed stress relief to students and teachers alike.

Sicherer believes that many students are stressed these days and that her dog, a trained therapy canine, can help.

Sicherer remarked that Sarge, now three years old, “had to take a really hard test to become a therapy dog,” and noted that he has changed a lot since his days as a feisty and slightly aggressive puppy; now, Sarge is protective but very friendly. This demeanor is useful in Sarge’s line of work: as a therapy dog, his job is to get along with humans he encounters and help them feel better if they are going through tough times. Studies have shown that therapy dogs like Sarge really can help with this: the dogs offer multiple physical, social, cognitive, and emotional benefits for people who interact with them, including reduced blood pressure and stress levels, increased self-esteem, and better problem-solving skills.

Dr. Sicherer had Sarge become a therapy dog after her mother, who was in the hospital at the time, said she would feel better if she was with a dog

Sarge, named after the Beanie Baby of the same name, is also an avid hula hoop fan and you can see him by searching his viral video entitled “German Shephard Likes to Hula Hoop.”

He is just one of the countless therapy dogs that have been introduced to high school and college campuses across the country.

Anyone interested in having Sarge visit their class can contact Dr. Sicherer.