Nikole Babb
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Former El Dorado Schools therapy dog ​​crosses the rainbow bridge

Last week, former El Dorado Public Schools Supervisor Dr. It was a heartbreaking time for Christie Henderson as she said goodbye to her longtime best friend and therapy dog, Sam. Dr. Known to more than just Henderson, Sam was an essential friend to many children throughout his years at Blackmore.

Dr. When Henderson began her counseling and teacher training, she knew she wanted to one day have a therapy dog ​​so kids at school could have an animal they could interact with. He wasn’t sure when or what type of dog he would train, but he knew that was his goal. After graduating high school, she knew she wanted to be a school counselor to pay back the counselor who saved her high school career. If it wasn’t for that counselor, he says, he wouldn’t have made it through high school because of difficulties at home.

Dr. “Studies have shown that children communicate well with animals,” Henderson said. “Animals can also positively impact a child’s emotional development.”

After graduating from Wichita State University with a master’s degree in teaching and counseling, she earned her doctorate in counseling at Kansas State University. Dr. Henderson was hired in 2016 to work for El Dorado Public Schools at Jefferson Lincoln Elementary School, then was assigned to Blackmore after the schools were consolidated into one.

In May 2019, Dr. While browsing Facebook, Henderson saw a post about a dog for sale. The post showed a Bernese Mountain dog covered in mud and read: “He needs to be rehomed immediately, he is in terrible shape.” The dog was located in Haysville, and surprisingly, the owner didn’t want money for the dog, even though he had paid $2,800 to Petland to purchase it. As soon as Sam met him, he immediately came and asked Dr. He sat at Dr. Henderson’s feet and said: Henderson took him home the same day.

When Sam arrived at his new home, he quickly adapted to the other two Doxin dogs. Soon Dr. Henderson realized he wanted to train and certify Sam as a therapy dog. After talking about the process with her friend Kelly Ankrom, she was ready. Sam successfully passed the Canine Good Citizen test. Sam then spent 10 supervised hours with his partner therapy dog ​​and handler at LakePoint El Dorado visiting seniors. When Sam arrived, the residents stood at their windows, eagerly awaiting his visit.

Sam became Love on a Leash certified in July 2019, and as of September, the El Dorado Public Schools Board of Education approved Sam as the school’s working therapy dog. He worked for the public school district for four years.

Dr. “He would wait outside the school gates with me every morning, and as soon as the first kid walked through those gates, he would start wagging his tail,” Henderson said. “He was very excited to see his children.”

While Sam greeted every child who passed through Blackmore’s gates, he would often perform tricks on command for the children. They would give Sam a high five or ask him to shake his paw, which he always happily responded to. Sam is remembered by many children for his Sam walks, where a group of 10 children are chosen to go out and walk Sam around the track and take turns holding his leash. Additionally, Dr. Henderson would offer Sam yoga, where kids would learn relaxing and stretching yoga poses and Sam would accompany them.

“I believe we form a different bond with animals,” Dr Henderson said. “I think animals find their people and become very attached to those people. The difference was that Sam had more than one person. The boys at Blackmore were his people too.”

For some, Sam was a lifesaver. One of the kids lost their parents during COVID and only came to school if they knew Sam was there. Most of the time, those who came to school late arrived on time to be rewarded with a bowl of ice water to Sam in the morning. A kid did well on a math test and wanted to give Sam a high five as a reward.

“That’s exactly what he did, high five Sam,” said Dr. Henderson. “The kids loved Sam, and he loved them.”

The average lifespan of a Bernese Mountain dog is nine years. Big cute dogs are lucky to be over nine years old. By the time Sam turned nine, it was clear that his health was in decline, but Dr. Henderson and his veterinary team couldn’t pinpoint the challenge he was facing. In August, Sam began having difficulty going down stairs at home and was diagnosed with arthritis. After his routine dental cleaning, his blood test showed that his kidney values ​​had increased and he was refusing to eat. Sam’s veterinarian recommended that he remain at the pet hospital overnight for fluid therapy and monitoring. During his stay, he was also given antibiotics for an unknown infection and eventually came home.

When Sam returns home, Dr. He wasn’t what Henderson remembered him as. He started trying harder to walk, but he still wasn’t eating. In mid-October, while her husband kept an eye on Sam, Dr. Henderson had to travel for work. He noticed Sam was walking abnormally and took him to the vet for an x-ray when he found a mass on Sam’s kidney. Sam had cancer.

Unfortunately, due to Sam’s age, he could not undergo surgery for fear that he would not wake up from the anesthesia. By that Saturday, Sam was losing control of his bowel movements and could no longer walk without experiencing severe pain. Dr. Henderson made the difficult decision to put Sam to sleep so he would no longer feel pain. Sam’s last breath was taken by Dr. It was given in Henderson’s arms.

Dr. “It was a relief to him that his pain was gone,” Henderson said. “His care has taken a lot out of us in recent weeks. I wonder how long he’s been suffering.”

Dr. Although Henderson has not worked for El Dorado Public Schools since 2023, the loss of Sam has impacted many families in El Dorado and beyond. After receiving his doctorate, Dr. Henderson became a Clinical Assistant Professor in the School Counseling program at Wichita State University.

After Sam died, Blackmore School distributed the remaining Sam socks for purchase through free will donations, and they sold out within a few hours. Funds can go towards a memorial paw print in front of the school or a Buddy Bench in Sam’s name so kids can high-five Sam in the morning. Dr. Henderson even considered writing a Sam book as a way to commemorate his life and legacy.

Dr. “Sam was a Blackmore Bear through and through,” Henderson said. “There was nothing about him that wasn’t Blackmore Bear.”

Even though Sam is gone, he leaves behind a legacy and warm memories in the hearts of every child he touched. Sam is a great example of why all dogs go to heaven.