Many kids wish that they could bring their dogs to school. That may be true for teacher Kaylee Berzsenyi, but while “at work” the dogs are less like pets and more like employees.
Berzsenyi started at East in August, her second year as a teacher. Berszenyi’s Math 3 and Precalculus classes are not unlike any other math class in the building, other than the miniature poodle under the desk that occasionally roams the floor.
Not to be confused with a therapy dog, Phoebe is a medical alert service dog here to help alert Berzsenyi in case of low blood sugar or high blood pressure. The main difference is therapy dogs are trained to help and comfort multiple patients, while most service dogs are specifically trained to keep track of and serve just one person.
Cardiac alert service dogs use their incredible sense of smell to detect chemical changes in their handlers breath, as well as their hearing to listen to their handlers heart beat and pulse. These dogs can detect symptoms of low/high blood pressure and sugar well before their handlers can, giving the handler appropriate time to prepare and react.
Berzsenyi expressed that she has faced few issues with students breaking the “no petting” rule, but far fewer than she encounters in public. Berzsenyi said, “Believe it or not, students and kids are a lot better when it comes to service dogs.” She said people out in public will come up and pet Phoebe without asking, bring their own pets up to meet Phoebe, or even bark at her.
“The biggest struggle I had when I first got her was everyone staring at you all the time,” Berzsenyi said. “Everyone’s eyes turn to you and look at the dog and you hear them talking about you.”
Previously at Triangle Math and Science academy, one of the main differences Berzsenyi notices between her current students and previous third graders is how much class revolves around Phoebe.
“During holidays, instead of bringing me presents, my kids were bringing Phoebe presents. There was just more excitement in elementary school.”
Students can be rest assured, it’s not all work, no play. When Phoebe gets home, she is still alert and aware of Berzsenyi’s current condition 24/7, but she is much more relaxed while at home.
“So what’s cool about service dogs is they have a separate leash and collar for when they’re working versus when they’re off. Her vest is very much like a uniform. When she puts it on, she knows she’s working and she’s a completely different dog when she’s off. So when we get home I take everything off of her and then I tell her the code word of ‘free’, she knows ‘Ok, I can be a normal dog’ and she’ll like spring up our stairs and have zoomies and go crazy,” Berzsenyi said. “She plays, she’s a normal dog. She has toys and barks at squirrels when she’s off.”
Berzsenyi’s life as a teacher is similar to that of her colleagues, other than a few small differences. She says it can be awkward finding time to take Phoebe out to use the restroom, so she normally uses the lunch period.
“The first day of school looks very different,” Berzsenyi said. “Most teachers are going over their syllabus or expectations. My first day is ‘What is a service dog? Let’s talk about this.’ The other thing is that I probably have a longer routine in the morning because not only do I have to get ready for myself but I have to make sure [Phoebe] is ready too.”
One thing Berzsenyi wants the student body to know is that while Phoebe may have some strict and complicated rules, she has undergone rigorous training and is happy at her position.
“[Phoebe] does really enjoy it,” she said. “You can tell in the morning she’s ready to get up and get dressed. She wants to go.”
Photo by Evan Elk/The ECHO
