A former employee who spent 63 dog years of service to students, staff and faculty died Thursday after a short battle with cancer.
Popcorn retired 15 human months ago from her job as a facility dog at the school helping with anxiety and mental health issues. She was the first such dog in the State of Alabama more than 10 years ago when she first started to walk the halls of Wetumpka Elementary with handler and paraprofessional Brandi Reiske.
“Her life is a country music song,” Reiske said at Popcorn’s retirement last year. “Somebody threw her out of a moving vehicle at the humane shelter with a puppy.”
That event left Popcorn with scars on her head. For a better life, staff at the Humane Society of Elmore County convinced Service Dogs of Alabama Popcorn was special. She wasn’t the hyper springer spaniel that typically kept the breed from being a service animal. Popcorn then went to prison in Florida and studied with the female inmates before returning to Alabama and landing with Reiske.
“We rescue the dog, we rescue the inmate, all to save the kids,” Reiske said.
The idea of a facility service dog was a novel idea in Alabama a decade ago. It was being done in other states. At the time, Service Dogs of Alabama was placing service animals with just individuals including students.
“That was our main focus,” Service Dogs of Alabama program director Ashley Taylor said. “They were already going into schools with those students. What we were seeing with those counselors and therapists, there was a remarkable difference.”
School staff were seeing improvements in test scores, attendance and mental health of other students who came into contact with the animals. The organization approached Elmore County Schools about piloting a program for facility dogs.
“It was such a novel concept,” former Elmore County Schools superintendent Dr. Jeff Langum said. “Originally I thought like an administrator, ‘Oh no, dogs, that will never work.’”
There were issues with liabilities with dog bites, allergies and kids being scared.
“Quickly I was humbled by all my misguided opinions,” Langum said. “It was hugely successful from Day 1.”
Former Wetumpka Elementary School principal Gigi Hankins said the students quickly took to Popcorn. It was because of the many students Popcorn was helping who had stories like hers.
“What they don’t know is that she understands their anxiety,” Hankins said. “Brandi tells her story that the students may see they have scars like Popcorn. She just sits there when they need somebody to listen. She doesn’t judge. She gives them her undivided attention.”
There were growing pains along the way. Popcorn was young, like many of the kindergarten and first-grade students she was around. Like the students, Popcorn ate a few crayons.
“It was a learning curve on our end,” Hankins said. “But she was a perfect kindergartener.”
There are classic stories too. Every teacher has heard about a dog eating homework. The excuse was true for one student and Popcorn was the guilty party. It was a 100th day of school event. A student had created a poster with 100 on it made by gluing Cheerios to a poster. Reiske placed the poster high in a classroom to keep it safe. Another staff member came behind and placed it low so the young students could see it.
“We came back in and the student was crying,” Reiske said. “There was a hole in the 100 day project. Half of it was eaten.”
But the story didn’t stop Popcorn’s overall success though. Facility dogs soon started to become part of the staff at schools in Alabama. Taylor said there are 42 facility dogs across the state as Popcorn carved the path. The Alabama State Department of Education has taken notice of facility dogs.
“After the success of the pilot program here, at the state department we were able to help fund several facility dogs through a grant program to various districts,” ADSE’s Sean Stevens said. “I had them come to one of our counselor coordinator programs. Before people could get home, Service Dogs Alabama had 10 to 15 applications trying to get one.”
Now, there will be big shoes to fill and the school hopes to find a replacement.
“We have seen the benefits our kids get,” Hankins said. “It calms down the kids. It calms down the teachers. Even when we have kids who are brand new to us, Popcorn just leads the way. She bridges that gap for us and is able to get those kids comfortable and out of their shell.”
Popcorn is the last of her class to retire. Even her puppy, who was placed at Eclectic Elementary, retired before Popcorn. She will now go home with Reiske to play with her dog brothers and human family, lay on the couch and enjoy retirement.
The dog mom isn’t sure she is ready for another service animal just yet. Reiske loves what Service Dogs of Alabama is doing with the facility dog program, but she is a little attached to Popcorn.
“It is super amazing and important, especially considering mental health,” Reiske said. “I don’t think I will while Popcorn is alive because she was a service dog. I might struggle having another one at the same time.”