Cheerios, the 3-year-old emotional support Great Dane, came to LHS to provide a safe and comforting space in the library for a portion of the day on Wednesday, February 19.

She works with everyone from young elementary school children to senior citizens that are in nursing homes.

Service dogs start training at a very early age, learning to stay calm, not react to certain things, and most importantly, not to bark. “We use a very effective tactic when training dogs – the spray bottle,” said Cheerios’ trainer. “It takes quite a lot of skill to be a service dog, I don’t think just any dog can be one,” she added.

While Cheerios may not be available every day, Liberty students always have resources on hand if they are feeling stressed, depressed, anxious, or just not like themselves. Always feel free to reach out to a counselor, teacher, administrator, resource officer, or any adult you feel comfortable chatting with.