Pet therapy is making a difference in Lexington County School District 1 schools.

Counselor Edie Burritt is leading the way with her dog, Bojangles. Burritt works at Pleasant Hill Middle School and Carolina Springs Elementary School and is the only nominee from Lexington County up for a LifeChanger of the Year award from the National Life Group Foundation.

Burritt is up against 25 other teachers and school district employees in the state and hundreds others across the country. White Knoll Middle School counselor Jennifer Calabrese nominated Burritt for the award. 

“The joke is that I nominated her pet therapy dog, Mr. Bojangles,” Calabrese laughed. 

“It’s for Edie because she’s done a great job,” she added, more seriously. “She went a step beyond and added him to her training. She’s responded to crisis events for the entire district with Mr. Bojangles. She’s always been one of the first people to count on.”

Bojangles was in several homes before coming to Burritt and struggled with separation anxiety. Sometimes Burritt will share his story with kids to help them cope.

“Kids, especially those in foster care, can relate to his [former] instability,” she said.

Bojangles is also used as a reward for students, as they get some Bo time when they meet behavior goals.

Burritt added that there is a student who has selective mutism who works on communication with Bojangles.

“With the dog, it’s a safe place for [the student[ to use [their] voice,” she said.

Burritt has previous experience working with therapy dogs and kids and noted that she has seen the practice decrease kids’ anxiety.

“The interaction between dogs and kids was like watching magic happen,” she said. “I’ve always been a dog lover. I was just waiting for the right dog to come along.” 

Burritt was able to certify Bojangles for pet therapy through Alliance for Therapy Dogs. In addition to having the dog go through the proper certification and interactions, Burritt has to take a test annually to keep her certification up to date. 

Additionally, she had to ensure the district is OK with it, and she said Lexington 1 has been supportive.

“When he puts on the collar and is at school, he knows he’s at work,” Burritt said.

Bojangles doesn’t come to school every day. He comes on select occasions or if he is needed for certain crises at schools around the district. He is also instrumental in the district’s mental wellness days, Burritt said. 

Burritt started bringing Bojangles into schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, since human interactions were down.

One morning, Bojangles was a greeter at the front door, and Burritt said she could just see everyone’s demeanor change.

“His presence lightened the room as people walked in,” she says.

The LifeChanger of the Year award will be selected by a group of former winners, and various cash prizes along with donations to the district are awarded by the National Life Group Foundation. The grand prize comes with $5,000 for the winner and $5,000 to be awarded to their district. 

Calabrese said Burritt has been a wonderful attribute for the district, with counselors being a critical need right now.

Both counselors have been with Lexington 1 for 15 years.

“Sometimes you don’t get recognition for those [attributes] so I’m glad I could do that,” Calabrese said.

While Burritt said she believes she’s the only counselor in the district with a therapy dog, she added that she knows of others in Lexington 1 who may look into pet therapy.

“I’ve had teachers tell me, ‘I’ve never seen that student sit still, engage or react like that,’” Calabrese  said. “When they see students with [Bojangles], immediately those students thought of as struggling or difficult are all of a sudden changed. You can see the child in them.”