Girton’s Second Wellbeing Dog, Poppy, joins Senior School Community

Our new Wellbeing Dog, Poppy, has officially started work in the Senior School. You may already have met our Junior School Wellbeing Dog, Murphy, who has become an integral part of our School community since joining us in May 2022.

Poppy is an Australian Cobberdog and is now 17 weeks old. She will be based primarily in the Senior School, spending most of her time at the Hub. Poppy lives with Ms Anita Briggs, our Chief Financial Officer, and will undergo the same training as Murphy with the support of Dogs Connect.

Having a Wellbeing Dog in our School community is an excellent way to promote the mental health and wellbeing of our students. Poppy will be trained to assist with stress management and provide a calming presence for those who need it.

We kindly ask for your cooperation in ensuring Poppy's training is successful. We would appreciate it if you could remind your child of the following guidelines when interacting with Poppy:

1. Please say hello to the person and not the dog. If there are lots of students calling her name, she may become confused and unsettled.
2. Give Poppy space. Dogs, like people, need their own personal space. Please refrain from petting or crowding Poppy, especially in stressful environments such as the School playground.
3. Please keep moving and avoid staring at Poppy. Staring can be interpreted as a threat by dogs, and we want to ensure that Poppy feels safe and secure at all times.

We invite you to visit our Wellbeing Dogs page on Astra to learn more about Poppy. 

Thank you for your cooperation in helping us welcome Poppy into our Senior School community. We are excited about the positive impact she will have on the wellbeing of our students.

Ms Danielle Crane

Senior School Inclusive Education Teacher