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FEATURES
Appleton, Wisconsin February 2017 Volume XXIII
Issue IV Page 5
Pets help
students
de-stress
for finals
Did you notice the furry visi-
tors at Appleton North during fi-
nals week?
From pugs, to golden re-
trievers, dogs of all sizes from
the Fox Valley Humane As-
sociation’s Therapy Dog Pro-
gram were in the Career Center
to help students during finals
through an event organized by
DECA.
Bernadette (Bernie for
short), Watson, Barkley, Stan-
ley, and Gus all visited during
the first two days of finals. But
spending time at North isn’t all
these therapy dogs do. Many
work at multiple events from
reading with kids in elemen-
tary schools to visiting airports
– these Therapy Dogs are hard
at work. Although they work
though the Fox Valley Humane
Association’s program, they all
have loving homes. Many, like
Bernie, Watson, and Barkley are
rescue dogs who went through
the Association’s three part
training and certification pro-
gram. To enter into the program,
dogs should be at least 1 year
old, know basic commands, and
have a calm demeanor. And if
there is one trait all these dogs
possess it is a gentleness that
wards off stress. “She’s been
calm ever since we met her,”
Pam Peterson, Bernie’s owner
and partner said. The program
started with a dog named Gizz-
mo, who unfortunately passed
two months ago, but now the
program has about 45 teams of
dogs and owners.
For many students, these vis-
itors are an opportunity to lift up
their day or decrease their stress
levels, but for others it’s an op-
portunity to challenge some ner-
vousness around dogs. No mat-
ter the reason, all the dogs will
show them love. “She’s very
very gentle, the worst she would
do is lick your hand,” Peterson
assured. Bernie – who is, de-
spite the greying snout, only 6.5
years old, loves to lick hands.
She can catch students in a gig-
gle as she runs her soft tongue
across their hands. As if in af-
firmation of the pets, she raises
her paw, a request her owner
explains, for a belly rub. Bernie
is a Vizsla which is a Hungarian
pointer dog. The Vizsla’s are af-
fectionately nicknamed “Velcro
dogs” because they always want
to be with their owner, a nick-
name Peterson confirms to be
true to Bernie. “She is always
by my side,” Peterson adds as
she describes Bernie’s attach-
ment. The Petersons adopted
Bernie when she was 2.5 years
old and she has been with them
since.
Although the dogs do a great
job of remaining calm they do
get a little excited to see each
other. Bernie hadn’t seen the two
pugs, Stanley (8) and Gus (12)
in over a year so the dogs were
allowed to greet each other for a
few minutes before being asked
to slow back down again. Wat-
son and Bernie are good friends
because Peterson’s daughter,
Jennifer Kitzman owns Watson
– the tree walker coonhound.
Watson was a rescue from Mis-
sissippi. He arrived in Wiscon-
sin via the Bark Bus which,
according to the Fox Valley
Humane Association’s website,
“travels to overcrowded shelters
in 15 of the Southern United
States to pick up homeless dogs.
These dogs, with otherwise un-
certain futures, are brought back
to Wisconsin where they are
assured to find their loving for-
ever families.” Watson is one of
the dogs who found his forever
family. Although Bernie, Stan-
ley, and Gus are experienced
therapy dogs; some working
in the airport, at elementary
schools, at the mall, and with the
Boys & Girls Club, Watson and
Barkley are relatively new to the
profession. In fact, Barkley’s
visit to Appleton North was one
of his first few times working.
But one would not be able to
tell which dogs were long time
therapy dogs and which were
just getting started because each
is as kind as the next. It is these
gentle dogs that really brighten
student’s days.
“This has been the best day
of school I’ve had in four years,”
said senior Vincent Olson as he
pet one of the dogs.
By Nora Ptacek
Sophomore Joanna Algera
recently became a United
States Figure Skating gold
medalist.
After years of practice and
work, she accomplished her
goal of earning a gold medal
in the ice skating test event
“Moves in the Field” held in
Eagle River.
“Moves in the Field” focus-
es on the performer skating
in certain patterns on the rink
rather than jumps and spins,
although Algera is no strang-
er to freestyle events which
include technical spins.
She was tested through
eight stages of patterns to
earn her gold medal.
Only three percent of peo-
ple in the event even make it
to the last stage, according to
Algera.
Algera started ice skating
in Michigan, but when she
moved to Appleton at age 12,
she really began to put in a
substantial amount of work,
she said.
She received coaching and
practiced almost every day,
and was eventually accepted
onto the Fond du Lac Blades,
a synchronized skate team.
Algera traveled around
the country with the Blades,
competing in competitions.
In 2015 Algera went unde-
feated in her freestyle com-
petition.
“If you put in work and re-
ally just make sure your mind
is set on achieving your goal,
you can do it,” Algera said.
Figure skater Joanna Algera brings home gold in Moves in the Field event
Joanna Algera poses with the
scores that earned her gold.
Photo courtesy of Joanna Algera
Joanna Algera competes with
the Fond du Lac Blades.
Photo
courtesy of Joanna Algera
Appleton North students spend time with Bernie during finals week.
Photo by Olivia Molter
By Henry Ptacek
Humane Society program brings therapy dogs to people under pressure
Vincent Olson, left, and Nathan Anderson welcome Bernie, a
6-year-old Vizsla, to North during the Fox Valley Humane Asso-
ciation’s Therapy Dog event during finals week.
Photo by Addisyn
Kohlbeck
More online
For more pictures
from the event, see
www.northnoct.com.
Bernie’s kind face eases stu-
dents’ stress.
Photo by Addisyn
Kohlbeck