Northern High School recently welcomed a new service dog to campus. Murray the dog started working at the high school in July and the kids already love him. After being picked up over the summer, Murray attended training once a week in Lancaster at the United Disability Services office, and mandatory training over the weekends. The certified handlers put in hours of work to make a service dog possible at the high school.

Students may or may not have seen Murray throughout the hallways, but right now, he spends most of his time in the Life Skills Support Classroom, servings as a calming presence for everyone there. However, his main handler, Lauren Berry, wants people to realize that he is a full-fledged service dog, not a therapy dog. He can pull, carry, turn on lights, and other tasks if required of him. According to Berry, “Murray’s program does not have a start and end date like typical programs. This is, and will continue to be, a lifetime process for him. Murray goes home with me every day, and I will continue to take him to classes for the remainder of his service dog career.”

Throughout the hallways, Murray works to provide support for the students around him. However, students are encouraged not to speak to him unless they ask the handler first. Because Murray is a new service dog, engaging with him will interrupt his training. When asked about the subject, Berry said, “This is very important. If you would like to pet Murray or any service dog, you must ask his handler before doing so. The dog will be given the command “sit” or “down,” and then you may pet him. We want Murray to get attention from students, and we will always do our best to allow you do so.”

With that being said, Murray enjoys his time at the high school, and makes a positive difference in the lives of those he meets.

Aly Huth