Lancer the emotional support dog provides smiles, comfort to Deer Lakes middle schoolers

Lancer the emotional support dog is settling into her new role at Deer Lakes School District.

The now 15-month-old doodle was introduced to district families in March, but didn’t make her in-person debut until Friday because of the coronavirus.

Deer Lakes Middle School Assistant Principal Samantha Abate, who owns Lancer, wanted to make sure students had acclimated to the district’s hybrid learning plan before bringing Lancer in. Students who participate in hybrid learning go to school twice a week and learn remotely the remaining three days.

“Covid slowed a lot of things down,” Abate said. “Then with all of the different changes in protocols that we’ve had, that’s why it’s taken this amount of time to get her into the building this year.”

Lancer is @deerlakessd as the taste tester of the homemade treats made by Mrs. Mangieri’s class! She gives them 4 paws up! pic.twitter.com/KAmHmBpzQ5

— Dr. Abate (@drabate_dlms) October 2, 2020

Lancer spent the majority of her first day with Katie Mangieri’s Life Skills class at Deer Lakes Middle School.

She tasted homemade dog treats made by the students, and listened as Mangieri read the class a story about READ dogs. READ dogs are trained to help children develop a love of reading by listening to them read out loud.

Mangieri said her students were excited to see Lancer.

“They all loved it when Lancer visited their desk and they could give her a quick rub on the head,” Mangieri said. “She would sit next to students during class and it was almost like she knew that the students needed her.”

Lancer also visited other classrooms. A few students asked to take pictures.

“Lancer is going to be coming now on a regular basis,” Abate said. “I’m looking to bring her in probably twice a week while we’re on the hybrid schedule. She’ll come in either Monday or Tuesday and then a Thursday or a Friday.”

Abate said Lancer is an emotional support dog that is working toward becoming a certified therapy dog.

Deer Lakes wanted to get its own therapy dog after district officials saw how students reacted to therapy dogs that were brought in to comfort them following the suicides of two students in recent years. Lancer was donated to Abate by South Buffalo-based Riverhouse Doodles.

Abate said the coronavirus has made it difficult for Lancer to practice certain face-to-face trainings required of a therapy dog. But she isn’t worried about Lancer passing the test when the time comes. Lancer is calm and collected and has the right temperament for a therapy dog, she said.

“I really feel like I got the cream of the crop,” Abate said.

Lancer will primarily be stationed at the middle school, but will travel with Abate to the district’s other schools to provide emotional support to students once her training is complete. Abate said it’s important for a therapy dog and their handler to do things together.

“Right now, in training, we are limiting to here,” Abate said. “In the future … she will be able to go to other buildings. I would go along with her, as well.”