Furry and fuzzy friends: comfort animals at a Saint-Lazare school

Students at Birchwood Elementary School in St-Lazare can now rely on some furry friends to help them get through their days should they feel anxious or sad.

A selection of comfort pets has become an important addition to the school's population.

Sully the Dog has his own welcome sign announcing he’s in the office today. He’s also in the corridor greeting students and in the library giving kisses.

Sully's human, Birchwood Elementary School Principal Brigitte Valois, said they also visit classrooms.

"Especially if it's during oral presentations and sometimes they like to have Sully around so he can make them feel less nervous," she said.

Valois said that pets can help lower student stress and anxiety, explaining that "the presence of a calm animal will help a child regulate their emotions more effectively than the presence of a trusting adult."

Her loving pooch, a mixed breed rescue, doesn't have any special training beyond being part of this community his whole life –he's two-and-a-half years old.

The comfort pets include baby chicks and rabbits which students can cuddle while they learn.

Student Leila Ivess said Sensa the bunny who was snuggled in her lap "is very comforting and when you're feeling upset she kinda like brings the joy out.”

“It’s nice for people who don't have animals at home and you get to hold them," said fellow student, Aiden Valentini.

In the classroom, full of grade 5 students and animals, teacher Nathalie Mancuso also sees that the animals facilitate learning.

“I've always believed in projects in a school that will be hands-on that will make the child learn not just from a textbook," she said.

Birchwood Elementary teacher Nathalie Mancuso holds a comfort animal.

Birchwood’s Comfort Pet Program was featured in a series of videos funded by the Education Ministry that showed creative ways to support mental health in schools. It’s called the AMI Project.

Kesi Walters, who works on it, said it helps students succeed in numerous ways.“For students to succeed academically in school they have to feel safe and have a sense of belonging, so it's important for educators to help students,” she said.

Her colleague Rosann Martorana said the program really "nurtures a sense of connectedness, belonging and well-being," among students and staff.

The animals also teach the students about responsibility. Grade 5 student Alexandra Kenny puts a black and white rabbit named Stark into his cage.

“It's very comforting and you get a lot of responsibility by cleaning out their litters and filling up their water," she said.