Central Catholic has a new faculty member – and this time, it’s not a human.

Colt, the service dog, is at Central to provide emotional support to any student in need. 

Colt was first seen at Central with Sam Humphreys ‘21. Despite Sam no longer attending Central Catholic, the Humphreys family has decided to share Colt with the community as a therapy dog.

Dogs can fill many roles. For people with disabilities, service dogs can provide physical support and extra mobility.

In cases where the owners have epilepsy, service dogs can detect a seizure before it happens and prevent their owners from being injured. Dogs can also act as emotional support animals for people struggling with mental illness. They are able to provide therapeutic benefits to people struggling with anxiety, stress, phobias, or trauma.

Colt is rejoining the Central Catholic community to assist students dealing with psychological problems. Research has shown that in a school setting, dogs have contributed to social, behavioral, and academic improvements in students.

Colt will be available in Mrs. Gershon’s office on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day. Students can feel free to stop in and interact with Colt.