[UPDATED 9/15/22] (Atlantic, Iowa) – Members of the Atlantic School District’s Board of Education, Wednesday evening, met “Charli,” a two-year old female Golden Doodle, who serves as a therapy/comfort animal for students and staff at the Atlantic Middle School. Charli is owned by Middle School Principal Scott Aden and his wife Lori. Mr. Aden is a certified handler for the dog. The dog comes to school with Mr. Aden three-days per week (Mon.-Wed-Fri.).

Aden says “She does a great job, and kids really like her in school. Other than the Mentoring Program I’ve been a part of, having Charli has probably been the most impactful thing I’ve been a part of, seeing how she can impact kids.”

AMS Principal Scott Aden, and his dog “Charli.” (Photo courtesy Josh McLaren)

An eighth-grade girl, he says, “Came running out of the school and she was hollerin’ Mr. Aden! Mr. Aden!” And he thought something had happened. Instead, she was “So excited because she got to love on Charli before she went home.” He told the Board he mentioned to his wife, that “It’s moments like that [which] make all the training worth while.”
He said also, studies have shown having a therapy dog in the building takes away some of the stress students and staff may be experiencing.

Lori Aden said unlike her husband, she’s not a certified handler, but she was there for the training classes. Scott Aden says Lori “Spoils Charli to death, even more than our kids.” It’s the couple’s first dog, but they also have “a rescue kitty,” according to Lori Aden.