FEATURE
Students at Northpoint Charter School in Albuquerque, New Mexico, gather around Izze for their morning pets.
Mohawk-Sporting Mutt Brings Calm to Stressed Albuquerque Students
By Devon Hubbard Sorlie, COTD editor
When students at an Albuquerque, New Mexico high school are feeling a bit stressed, they will seek out their favorite stress-reliever – Izze. Sporting a scraggly mohawk and milky eyes that come with blindness, the nearly 14-year-old Chihuahua, terrier and poodle mix is a favorite among the students, who stop in at Donna Gallegos’ office for a quick cuddle with Izze between classes at Northpoint Charter School. For Donna, a school social worker, the small dog is more than a pet; she is a partner in fostering resilience and tranquility in young minds.
“ Children are very different now due to COVID,” Donna said.“ The pandemic has caused a lot of anxiety and depression. The students struggle every single day getting out of their homes into a different environment. For them, making the transition from home to school has been very stressful.”
As a therapy dog through the Warm Hearts Network, Izze comes with Donna to Northpoint Charter once or twice a week. Izze’ s reputation for snuggling spread to the adjacent Renaissance Academy( grades 4-8), and some of those students will also pop in for a quick pet and marvel over Izze’ s wiry and distinctive hairdo.“ The students look forward to seeing her and ask for her, popping in to say‘ I need Izze right now.’ When she is here, there will be a crowd of students hovering around her, and you can just see the stress leave their minds and bodies,” Donna said.“ While I work solely with high school students, all of the students in the building know and love her.”
For students struggling with anger, cuddling with Izze helps them calm down.“ She’ s cute and fluffy and soft, all which helps change their mindset and ease their anger,” Donna said.
Izze’ s impact isn’ t only emotional; she has also become a symbol of resilience. Three weeks after being diagnosed with diabetes at age 10, Izze lost her sight. Donna got a bumper harness for Izze to wear as she learned to navigate the house. After exhibiting signs of depression, Donna took her to an ophthalmologist for cataract surgery.“ She was able to see for another two years, but started to go blind again,
" When she is here, there will be a crowd of students hovering around her, and you can just see the stress leave their minds and bodies."
24 Better Training Through Education Photos: Donna Gallegos