Chewie The Therapy Dog

June 10, 2020

Chewie the therapy dog is not quite Clifford the Big Red Dog, but at 85 pounds, he’s a pretty big guy. He’s also a pretty big help at Park Hill Elementary.

Chewie, a goldendoodle, is a certified therapy dog who spends much of his time at Park Hill helping special needs students. It’s his calling, his owner Jen Gage said.

Gage, who is the office manager at Gage Chiropractic, had a lifelong calling to work with special needs kids. As a child, reading was something that Gage struggled with in school.

“As a kid, I hated to read out loud,” Gage said. “I felt very insecure, and I would have to go to special reading groups.”

A few years ago, Gage started researching how dogs could be helpful to kids struggling with reading. She thought that “maybe I could help a child and make them feel a little bit more confident and competent.”

Chewie got his therapy dog certification back in 2016. He started out by spending time with young cancer patients at Wesley Medical Center.

The cancer doctor she was connected to at Wesley ended up leaving the hospital, so Gage needed to find somewhere else for Chewie to help.

“Around that time, [Park Hill Principal Sandy Rusher, a client at Gage Chiropractic], brought it to my attention that she would love to have a dog,” Gage said. “So I thought, ‘Well, here’s my opportunity. God works in mysterious ways.’”

Before the coronavirus shut down schools, Gage and Chewie would go to Park Hill and spend time each week with the SLC classes. They would go to recess with special needs students every Monday. On Wednesdays, she and Chewie would visit kids in different classrooms and grade levels and read with them.

“It’s been extremely rewarding,” Gage said. “It just makes my heart happy when I see those children light up just because of a dog.”

Once the coronavirus hit and schools went virtual, Chewie wasn’t seeing the kids anymore, and he seemed a little down, Gage said. So Gage made Chewie a Facebook page and started posting pictures of him every day. She also sent pictures of him dressed up in different outfits for Derby Public School’s spirit week.

Sandy Rusher will serve as principal at the new Stone Creek Elementary in the fall, and Gage and Chewie plan to follow her there too.

“But I’m also going to continue at Park Hill, because the SLC class has made such great strides in two years,” Gage said. “I don’t want to stop doing that, so I’ll continue at both schools.”

When he’s not at a school, Chewie can be found at the Gage Chiropractic office. Patients young and old love seeing him there.

“A grown man will walk in here, and then it’s just baby talk,” Gage said. “There’s a woman who’s 87 years old who brings treats for him every time she sees him.”

Chewie may be a big guy, but he’s got a cool demeanor. Gage said she sometimes calls him Bob Marley “because he’s just so calm.”

“With the kids, he’ll lay down, and they’ll lay on top of him and read,” Gage said. “He’s just very relaxed.”

Chewie may soon be expanding his services even further. Recently Gage and Chewie crossed paths with a Derby High School SRO officer, and the officer recognized Chewie and asked for his business card. Chewie might help at the high school with some of the higher-anxiety students.

Wherever he goes next, there’s one thing Chewie will definitely keep doing: “Bringing a smile to somebody’s face,” Gage said.

  • Most Recent News

    Former Victoria man’s diabetic alert dog helps him get back to life

    June 2, 2021

    When Luke Hengen’s diabetes worsened in his early twenties, it stripped him of the outdoor activities where the country kid felt at home. Countless wilderness adventures and years of hard-fought football games took a toll on his body, to the point where he could no longer sense when his blood sugar was too high or […]

    Read more

    Students Get Therapy Dog

    January 8, 2021

    When middle school students return to class on Jan. 11, they’ll find a new face at the door: Daisy. Daisy is a therapy dog and the personal pet of Rob Kreger, principal of the Rock L. Butler Middle School. The five-year-old golden retriever is not a school pet or mascot, but rather a working dog […]

    Read more

    Therapy Dogtor

    January 8, 2021

    Last March, Caroline Benzel, a third-year medical student, began to notice the stress and discomfort her nurse friends were feeling from the pressures of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. “[Personal protective equipment] can be really rough on the skin,” Benzel, 31, tells PEOPLE. Benzel and her 3-year-old Rottweiler, Loki (who’s also a therapy dog) hatched a […]

    Read more

    Therapy Dog Pups

    January 8, 2021

    When Stanley the miniature fox terrier’s owner passed away, the little dog started a ‘paw-some’ new role – bringing puppy love to some of the Gold Coast’s oldest residents. After Carinity Cedarbrook Diversional Therapist Julianne Staff adopted Stanley, he began visiting the aged care community at Mudgeeraba as a therapy dog. Therapy dogs help to […]

    Read more

    Puppy Cams

    January 7, 2021

    A nonprofit is providing an unusual form of therapy for those on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic – puppy cams! “You spend five minutes with a puppy and try not to smile,” said registered nurse Robin Lingg Lagrone. Lingg Lagrone says watching little furballs wag their tails and prance on their paws helps […]

    Read more

    Pet Committee

    January 7, 2021

    When Moore County’s school doors were abruptly closed earlier in 2020, two- and four-legged volunteers from the Moore County Citizens’ Pet Responsibility Committee (PRC) were in their 12th year of presenting a six-session Pet Responsibility Education Program for fourth-graders. The PRC quickly shifted gears and placed its program materials online as part of a home […]

    Read more

    The Right Rescue Dog

    January 7, 2021

    If your New Year’s resolution is to add a canine family member, good for you. Somewhere out there is the perfect puppy or adult dog for your family. You have a lot of things to think about when you begin to look for that new family member, puppy or dog? Large or small? Purebred or […]

    Read more

    Police Dog Attack

    January 7, 2021

    A resolution headed to the Duluth City Council on Monday could put to rest a lawsuit filed by Teri Lynn Ehlers, an employee of the Patch Motel, who was bitten by a Duluth police dog named Oakley. Former Duluth Police Officer Marc Johnson was a registered guest of the Warroad establishment May 28, 2018, when […]

    Read more

    PAWS With A Cause

    January 7, 2021

    Pebble Hill Plantation and the Thomas County Public Library are pleased to announce the upcoming Enlightening Bites program, “PAWS With a Cause,” on Friday, January 8, 2021 at noon in the Flipper Room of the Library. The program is being presented by Jeri Anderson, field representative. Anderson is recently retired from the City of Monticello, […]

    Read more

    Police Canine Team

    January 7, 2021

    Kingston Police revealed in a news release late Wednesday afternoon that they’ve been keeping a four-legged secret for roughly three months. The force announced it added a second canine unit, with the arrival of police service dog Dak this past October. He is working with Const. Jeff Dickson, while police service dog Bask is working […]

    Read more

    More Recent News