Meet Becky the Student and Levi the Service Dog
Becky Wells and her service dog Levi at Goodrell Middle School.
“Vest on,” is what Goodrell 7th grader Becky Wells says every morning to Levi the Labrador. That’s the signal for him to slip out of his role as family pet and back into his role as service dog. Then, off the inseparable pair goes to school.
When Becky was a 4th grader she was playing hula-hoops one day and fell. She suffered a head injury that caused memory loss and related complications. Eventually she was diagnosed as having sustained a traumatic brain injury. TBI can be a complicated diagnosis and presentation of symptoms. In Becky’s case the help she gets from Levi isn’t as obvious as that provided by a seeing-eye dog. But it is just as vital.
“He keeps me relaxed and gives me comfort,” said Becky in the Goodrell library Wednesday morning. “And he can smell my medicines and tell when I need my inhaler.”
The two have only been together since last April. Heck, Levi is only 15 months old, still a pup. So he’s still receiving training. In that sense he’s a student too, just like Becky. But he’s a good one. Becky says she’d give him good grades and so do school staff.
Jill Greiman is a Behavior Coach at Goodrell and she says Levi has blended in well at school.
“(Principal) Mr. (Peter) LeBlanc made it clear to the student body right from the start of the year that Levi is here to work,” she said. “We have gone through a period of figuring out established routines and this is going smoothly. And it’s clearly helping Becky get stronger.”
Emblazoned on Levi’s vest is a reminder that he is not to be petted. Schedules and building routes keep him from coming into close contact with allergic students and staff. Outdoor bathroom and play breaks are built into his day to coincide with Becky’s class and lunch schedules.
All of this is particularly impressive and timely in light of the fact that the United States Supreme Court recently agreed to hear a case arising from the refusal of a school district in Michigan to accommodate a student’s service dog.
Becky’s mom Jessie Wells teaches 5th grade at Oak Park Elementary and she appreciates the way DMPS has gone out of its way to cooperate with her family’s situation.
“As a parent you never want your child to be hurt…so when Becky was, our entire family was devastated. Levi has become her best friend, confidante and guardian all rolled into one big, yellow package,” she said. “All that he is and does for her would not be fully realized if he couldn’t go to school. The efforts of the teachers and staff at Goodrell have made this a reality that I will always be grateful for.”
Levi is a blockhead in the best possible sense. It’s difficult not to give in to the petting reflex when he’s around. As a yellow lab he bears a resemblance to Millie who’s on staff at Cowles Montessori but there is an important distinction to be drawn between the two school pooches, according to Becky. Millie is a therapy dog. Levi is a service dog.
“Therapy dogs are for a group of people,” Becky explained. “A service dog like Levi is assigned to just one person.” Levi had no comment but he clearly understands and agrees with everything Becky has to say. They’re quite a couple of pack-mates. One command in particular that they both enjoy is “Hug”! As ordered, Levi jumps up and clutches Becky’s shoulders. It beats the heck out of shaking hands/paws. Just about any old dog can be taught to do that but not many at all can do what Levi does.
