A new furry friend, Bodie the dog, made his way onto campus at the beginning of the school year.

Bodie, known as the “school dog,” is a hypoallergenic dog, who is here at SJHHS to act as a therapeutic outlet for many students. Assistant principal, Amanda Bratcher, is the owner and caretaker of Bodie on and off campus. 

“I got him with the intention of being a service dog, so I went through the steps with Dr. Mahindrakar,” said Bratcher.

Part of the process of making Bodie a part of SJHHS was making him very accessible to all students in every way. This reason played a part in why Bratcher chose to get a hypoallergenic dog, so students who were ‘allergic’ to most dogs could still connect with Bodie. A hypoallergenic dog produces fewer allergens. 

Bodie recently underwent a companionship process where he was evaluated and trained through a special Extended School Year Services program. These services are special education-related services provided by the school district for the special education department of the school. The program tested skills, trained, and certified Bodie as a service dog.  After his great success in training, he was cleared to start working for the 2024-2025 school year.

“He had a really good temperament…he passed the board training policy with twenty commands and was certified, he’s like a unicorn,” said Bratcher.

Bodie’s responsibilities are different from those of a service dog who works with people with disabilities, his training was specialized so he can serve as a companion to SJHHS students. Bodie is trained to calm down and emotionally support any individual who may be in need of it at school. This can be done by students simply petting, visiting, or taking some time with Bodie.

“The whole point of him is that you’re supposed to come in and connect with him if you’re feeling down,” said Bratcher. 

Any students in need of comfort, support, or a friend, can find Bodie in the student services office, and occasionally in guidance. So far, nothing but great feedback has been said about Bodie around school, and is always greatly missed when not present.

“When I don’t have him… I had six kids that were like, ‘Where’s Bodie?’” said Bratcher.