MONCLOVA – With his dark, searching eyes, floppy ears and wagging tail, 2-year-old Labrador retriever Dunkin is magnetic as he walks through the halls or greets students getting off the bus at Monclova Primary School.
“When he’s walking, he’s working,” said Jill Bigelow, dean of students at Monclova. “We taught students a secret tail wave with their pinkies so they can say hello to him when we pass in the hall.”
Dunkin joined Monclova last month as a school facility dog, replacing Laney – who served as a therapy dog at the school from 2017 until retiring in May. The difference between a therapy dog and a facility dog is that Dunkin is trained to do more than provide a lending ear and calming presence, said Bigelow and counselor Chris Buehrer. Unlike Laney, Dunkin will always wear his vest and a leash, and he will always be with a handler when he’s at school…