As longtime CHS Spanish teacher Olivia Wylie’s Spanish four and five students file into her classroom, they’re greeted by a rambunctious yellow labrador retriever. The labrador, Pinto, is in training to become a service dog through the organization Paws with a Cause, and he is currently being fostered by Wylie. Since joining the class in mid-September at nine weeks old, Pinto has won the hearts of students and staff alike.
“I enjoy having him around,” said Kate Groves, a CHS senior in Wylie’s Spanish 5 class. “It’s a nice break from school, when it can be stressful, to go say ‘hi’ to him. I think that what we’re doing, raising him as a service dog so he can help out when he’s older, is really important.”
CHS freshman, Lacy Nielsen, also enjoys having the dog around and thinks his presence cheers people up.
“I was really excited that there was a dog in the building, because it just makes you happy to see a dog,” Nielsen said. “It took you out of this dull moment that you have when you’re in school. To get to see a dog is like, oh yeah, puppy!”
Sometimes, students get the opportunity to take Pinto on walks and keep him entertained. The job often falls to Will Militzer, a CHS junior in Spanish four. Militzer delights in the time he gets to spend with the dog and will often coax Pinto over to his desk to pet him.
“Pinto is a very fun dog to have in class,” Militzer said. “His constant enthusiasm encourages us to learn more Spanish.”
While Pinto remains pampered with frequent treats, he is also known for eating the paper off of bulletin boards, chewing on backpacks and squeaking his chew toys during lectures. Wylie endearingly refers to him as “perro maldito,” which translates to “damn dog.”
Students in her class are all too familiar with the sight of Wylie chasing after the dog to put him in his crate. But even so, he could one day end up working as a service dog for a veteran or as a drug-detecting dog in the airport.
“Paws with a Cause tries to pair these dogs with people who are disabled,” Wylie said. “It could be a person that has epilepsy. It could be a person with a neuromuscular disorder. It could be a veteran in a wheelchair.”
After Pinto’s year in foster care with Wylie, he will head back to a Paws with a Cause center in Wayland, MI for six weeks, where they will assess his skills and obedience. After that, Pinto will spend eight months in prison, undergoing intensive training and living in a room with two prisoners. Finally, he will return once more to Paws with a Cause, and he will be assigned a job.
Pinto has no opinion on his future that we know of, but Wylie, on the other hand, is not looking forward to the day the dog has to leave.
“I have to drop him off, and then you have to hand the leash to them, and he looks back at you sometimes, like, Where you going, Mama? Oh my god. I’m crying so hard,” Wylie said. “But when I look at these kids that are in wheelchairs, I say, he could change their lives. I know he has a better purpose than just being with me in my classroom.”
But Pinto still has lots of time to enjoy Community before his training moves elsewhere. In the meantime, he is spending lots of time in his favorite places around the school. He loves being where there are students, whether it’s the hallway or the classroom.
“He just loves being around the kids. Loves running around, playing with toys with them and everything,” Wylie said. “He loves running in the main office. And he loves Jen Niner, and the ASL class is crazy about him. That’s where his favorite place is, definitely not the crate.”
Although he can be a bit of trouble, Pinto is loved by all and will become a valuable asset to someone someday.
