Farewell Zephyr

We say addio to our beloved school dog Zephyr

Zephyr began her role as a school dog in 2014 at the invitation of Dom Poppa who was, at the time, Principal of St Mel’s Primary School. The notion of a school dog was still quite novel at the time but the therapeutic benefits are now more widely recognised. She was quickly adopted by the children and eagerly accepted the pats and tummy rubs that were forthcoming. Within a few weeks she had worked out that Thursday was her school day and she’d be eagerly waiting at the ute ready to go.

In 2019 Zephyr transferred to St Anne’s College and became an inaugural staff member, complete with her own school identification tag! Stopping at the traffic lights at the corner of the Goulburn Valley Highway and Sanctuary Drive she would promptly sit up in the front passenger seat knowing that she was only minutes from school. Zephyr would then pull hard at her lead across the car park, desperate to get inside and greet everyone. She was readily accepted and quickly settled into her routine of wandering around and tapping students with a paw to get a pat. Zephyr loved being with our students and it wasn’t unusual to see up to six Foundation students holding her lead as she wandered around. 

Definition of zephyr: a soft, gentle breeze, and that's exactly what she was like as she wandered around St Anne's College, bringing a sense of comfort and joy to the children and staff.

Her final visit to our college was the Wednesday of the latest COVID lockdown, where she had a typical day of hugs and rubs. On the way home we stopped at the Goulburn River to check out some fishing spots and Zephyr indulged herself with a swim. Sadly, on the Friday, she collapsed suddenly at home and passed away. Zephyr has left us with many beautiful memories of a dog who lived every day to the full and for that I am incredibly grateful. 

- Stephen Kealy