BRUNSWICK, Ohio—There’s much talk about a dog’s purpose.
- Brunswick H.S. added a dog to their staff after a string of student deaths by suicide
- Maxie the Golden Retriever was brought in 5 years ago to help with the grieving process
- Maxie now has her photo in the yearbook and may walk across the stage at graduation
For Maxie the Golden retriever— it’s to provide a little joy to the students at Brunswick High School.
“Maxie came out of a time when there were some major issues here at Brunswick High School, with a couple losses of students,” said Keith Merrill, Brunswick High School principal.
For the last 5 years, Maxie has walked and wagged through the halls of BHS—to be there for anyone who may need her.
“But a lot of times the kids that are coming to see me are kids that have troubles and are upset about something that happened over the weekend, or they’re having family issues, or whatever’s going on at home,” said Wendy Miller, Maxie’s owner. “Those are the kids that really spend the majority of the time with her too. And like I said, we just sit there and listen and give love.”
Miller says she always wanted to have a therapy dog, and knew Maxie would be great for the job.
“If it makes one kid happy, it’s worth it. So, I love seeing it every day when we go there,” Miller said. “She’s a superstar within the building, that is for sure.”
Principal Keith Merrill says Maxie has continued to show her value to the students and staff.
“Anybody that’s stressed out or anybody that’s in a great mood and needs a little pick-me-up, Maxie’s always there for each and every one of them.” said Merrill.
Maxie made the yearbook last year— and now they’re even talking about having her walk across the stage at graduation.
You can find Maxie’s purpose, and her paw print, at Brunswick High School.