The Calais School’s one-of-a-kind Animal Assisted Interventions Program is excited to welcome the newest member of our team and the first dog to be named after a Japanese ice cream: Mochi.

Mochi is a male Pharaoh Hound and celebrated his first birthday in January. “Although Mochi was named after a Japanese ice cream, he is a rare and ancient Egyptian dog breed!” said Animal Assisted Therapy Coordinator Tiffany Shevchik. The Pharaoh Hound breed dates to 3000 BC. Drawings of dogs resembling Mochi and his breed can be found in art and literature with some even inscribed in the ancient Egyptian pyramids.

Mochi is from a breeder in upstate New York and came to his new home with Ms. Shevchik shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic. When Mochi was a puppy, he had blue eyes and his ear were down. As he has grown, his eyes turned green and his ears now stand straight up and are large, Ms. Shevchik noted. Mochi now weighs 42 pounds and is almost full-grown. “Mochi loves treats and is playful, goofy, active and loving.”

The Calais Animal Assisted Interventions Program helps students reach behavioral and therapeutic goals by delivering highly effective intervention techniques in group and individual settings. Our dogs and handlers assist students by participating in clinical school behavior plans and therapeutic settings.

Our program has received rave reviews from our Calais families.

Parent Jennifer C. said the Animal Assisted Interventions Program has motivated her son Owen to work harder and overcome challenges. “My son Owen has gotten so much out of the AAI Program,” she said. “He reads to the dogs, gets very close to them and talks about them all the time.”

Owen has pictures of the dogs, which he enjoys looking at. He also likes to spend time with the dogs, which makes hard work seem like fun to him. “The dogs make him want to do things that he has struggled with in the past. He used to struggle with reading, but he has fun when he does it and we can tie the direct success (of his reading) with working with dogs. It feels exciting and fun for him. Being with the dogs makes him want to read.”

The Calais Animal Assisted Interventions Program made such a difference in the life of Angela E.’s son Ray that the family decided to adopt a rescue puppy, so they would have a dog at home to help Ray there too.

When Mrs. E. saw her son interacting with the dogs, he would get excited and look up. She said the AAI dogs gave him a new perspective and helped him focus on school. He would focus for a whole session of speech or an activity. “The AAI Program is a great program which I hope continues and expands,” she said. “When the pet therapy dogs started coming to his classes, he absolutely loved working with them and when they do virtual learning, he gets such a kick out of it with the dogs saying yes or no (using cards).”

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