MOSCOW, Pa. — Michelle Layland reads to her second-grade class at Moscow Elementary School, and these days, there are two special guests in the room. One of them has four paws.
Sarah Edwards and her 2-year-old lab named Dutton are part of a new program at the school. Dutton is a certified therapy dog, and these two came up with a plan to bring Dutton into the school on a regular basis.
"We have a lot of different kinds of classrooms here, students with different needs, and I was hoping that all students would benefit from having the dog at school," Layland said.
School can pose challenges for students, and Dutton has overcome one herself.
She has a condition called megaesophagus, where the muscles in her throat don't allow her to swallow normally. Dutton sits in a special chair that allows gravity to bring the food down to her stomach.
Sarah says doctors didn't give Dutton much time to live, but the Edwards family was determined to keep Dutton alive. Now, she is thriving and in her element two years later.
Sarah felt sharing Dutton's underdog story with kids in school would be beneficial.
"My daughter would sit there and read to her, and the idea popped in my head that if she could sit there while my daughter reads to her in her car seat, I think she has something that she could give back," Edwards said.
Sometimes elementary students have a hard time verbalizing how they're feeling. That's where Dutton comes in to help.
"When they sit down, if they have tears in their eyes, or we bring Dutton over, that always puts a warm smile on their face, and it makes them feel good. So we can refocus and energize those kids that take on the day," said Moscow Elementary principal Jeff Hatala.
"Everybody is very happy and excited when they see that, and there's always smiles, so it's been a very positive experience," Layland said.
Sarah hopes Dutton can bring smiles to other schools in the district in the future.
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