Brooke Abraham brings her service dog

OTIS AT YOUR SERVICE

Senior Brooke Abraham brings her service dog to school

ISABELLA DIPATRI SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER | JOSEPHINE PHILLIPS REPORTER

Decked out in his favorite bow tie collar, teal vest and four padded black booties, McLean students do a double take as a yellow labrador struts down the hallway. Has someone’s pet gotten loose? No, that’s just Otis, senior Brooke Abraham’s furry companion and service dog.

“Otis is a medical alert and a mobility assistance dog,” Abraham said. “He does alert tasks, and he also responds if I’m having a medical episode.”

Although federal law allows service dogs in schools, Abraham felt as if she was under constant scrutiny from her peers.

“I was really nervous bringing him to school because I’ve had bad experiences in stores,” Abraham said. “I knew everyone would be staring at me, but it was sort of like business as usual.”

Otis started his training last year outside of school, where he adjusted to large crowds.

“He did most of his training in the mall around Christmastime, so I’ve gotten really used to negativity,” Abraham said. “Otis was trained by me, with some assistance from other service dog handlers in the area.”

Depending on the disability, service dogs are trained to perform different tasks. Otis supports Abraham in multiple ways.

“Deep pressure therapy is his most common task, and it’s when he lays on either my chest or my lap in order to provide sensory input and bring my heart rate down,” Abraham said. “He also helps me by pulling me forward and guiding me to classes.”

Since Abraham is able to bring Otis into her classes, her teachers have seen him in action.

“When Brooke gets a little nervous, she’ll start to shake her leg,” English teacher Mariya Chatha said. “Otis will literally sit on top of her and hold her down.”

Abraham’s classmates and friends have also taken notice of the ways Otis helps Abraham throughout the day.

“I see Otis performing tasks such as behavior interruption, forward momentum and counterbalance,” senior Linnea Abt said.

Although Abraham quickly adjusted to life with a service dog, the process of learning to deal with other students’ needs was more difficult.

“It was odd at first because wherever I go, I get stared at and asked invasive questions,” Abraham said.

HAVING OTIS MAKES IT A LOT EASIER FOR ME TO DO THINGS A NORMAL STUDENT WOULD.”

- BROOKE ABRAHAM SENIOR

While Otis is allowed to accompany Abraham to each of her classes and be present in classrooms, Principal Ellen Reilly was initially concerned about people being afraid of dogs and potential allergies, but she concluded that Otis would not be a distraction.

“I didn’t think he was going to be aggressive towards anybody, but I was just mostly concerned about allergies of other people and reactions to having a dog [in school],” Reilly said. “However, you can tell when you meet him, he’s just kind and has a gentle spirit.”

Prior to Otis coming into classrooms, Reilly addressed his arrival via letters given to students in class. “We talked to all the teachers beforehand to [find out about any issues with] allergies or fear,” Reilly said.

Chatha was initially overwhelmed with the idea of having Otis in her crowded classroom, but she was able to figure out how to accommodate him.

“It was actually pretty easy to adjust to Otis,” Chatha said. “We figured out a way to have him be in the back where we have a couch, so it’s a comfortable space.”

Otis is becoming a well-known member of the community, but Abraham still has to remind students to keep their distance, especially when it comes to petting.

“If [a person] were to distract him from his work, I could end up injured, which would be extremely frustrating,”

Abraham said. Abraham plans to have Otis continue to support her until she graduates in the spring, and she expects her classmates will continue to adjust in that time. “I understand that this is different,”

Abt said. “But people need to learn to respect other people’s wishes and boundaries.” At the end of the day and despite the looks they may get, the two are inseparable. With Otis’s help, Abraham is able to cope with the challenges of her day. “It’s easier for me to not be swallowed into the ‘what ifs’ [now],” Abraham said. “Having Otis makes it a lot easier for me to do things a normal student would.”

On the lookout — Brooke Abraham and her service dog, Otis, offer each other comfort after a day of task work. On average, Otis assists Abraham up to 3040 times a day.