Southgate Community Schools welcomes new comfort dog
SOUTHGATE, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - Southgate High School is welcoming a new comfort dog and it is a first-of-its-kind for the district.
The school's resource officer, Morgan Parrish, noticed the toll the COVID-19 pandemic had on students, so she wanted to introduce them to a 5-month-old Goldendoodle named Titan.
"There is no way someone can not walk past a dog and not be like, 'Oh, look how cute that puppy is or can I pet your dog,'" Parrish said.
Titan is a welcome sight for the students in Southgate Community Schools, especially the high schoolers at Southgate Anderson High School.
The little fella is in training right now so he can't mingle too much.
"My whole goal as a school resource officer is to bridge the gap between our kids, the community and the police department, and I feel like there is sometimes a negative stigma that surround police officers and the communities that they represent," said Parrish.
Since the pandemic, Parrish said there's been high levels of anxiety and low levels of communication.
Titan is there to ease both.
"I want the kids to be able to have that open relationship to where if they do need something or someone is hurting them or someone feels threatened ,whatever the case my be at that moment in time, that they have the ability and comfort to come to me," said Parrish.
Thanks to Michigan Doodle Rescue and the K9's Blue Program, Titan is able to be a comfort for the thousands of students and faculty in the school district.
He is hypoallergenic and named after the school's mascot. He is in the early stages, but he is well on his way to bringing more happiness and hope to those in the Southgate Community Schools.
Titan will grow to be about 50 pounds and will eventually make his rounds to all schools in the district.