Behind the lesson, lectures, and long hours of grading assignments at Bishop Gorman High School, another side of teachers’ lives waits at home, one filled with wagging tails and occasional messes.
For Ms. Hilliard, her special companion is named Rudy, a four-year-old Chihuahua she got from a puppy mill rescue. Although he may be tiny, Rudy does have a big personality. He will stand on the back of Ms. Hilliard’s couch, barking fiercely to “protect” the house from any intruders. Ms. Hilliard says, “daily walks after school help ease stress, while longer weekend walks give us extra time together.” She continues, “Every day is glorious with him, he is my world.”
Ms. Trematerra’s golden retriever, Vito, was adopted on Valentine’s Day in 2018 from the Golden Retriever Rescue of Southern Nevada. Vito is a “Mama’s Boy” as she says, who follows her everywhere. Each day after school, he waits patiently for his harness so they can take a walk together. These walks allow her time to clear her mind, reflect, and even pray. One of her favorite memories is bringing Vito home for the first time and telling him, “You are home.”
Dr. Steffensen’s friends, Hal and Merlin, spend most of the day sleeping and waiting for him to come home. After work, they often head to the dog park before settling in for a relaxing evening. Hal’s routine with his favorite toy consists of not leaving Dr. Steffensen alone until it is thrown for him to fetch. He says, “I think pets are important because they are a special way that God reminds us of the goodness of His creation. I do not remember the source of the quotation, but someone once said that ‘we should strive to be as good of a person as we think that we are.”
Lastly, teachers not only enjoy bonding with their cute dogs, but Ms. Desio and her cat, Sushi, have been enjoying their time for almost eight months now. She adopted her from Hearts Alive Village cat cafe, which was a great place to go to for anyone looking for a cat to accompany them. A weird habit Sushi has is when she wants to be pet, she violently jams her head into Ms. Desio’s hand and drags her face across it. If Sushi were a student, she would be the kind of student who asks a LOT of questions and shares a lot about herself. Her favorite memory with Sushi is the first night she brought it home. Ms. Desio says, “she followed me all around the house and, when I was reading at night, she curled right up in my lap like she had done it a thousand times. I love my sweet little kitty!!”
With many unique, fun personalities, these pets each provide more than companionship, they offer comfort, laughter, and unconditional love. This proves that sometimes the best therapy after school has four paws and a tail.
