The story begins in the middle of an ordinary pre-calculus class. Out of nowhere, Ava’s phone buzzed—first, a Facetime call which she declined (she was in class after all!), followed by a text from a friend struggling with mental health. The message: “I’m sorry, I love you.” It stopped her in her tracks. Those words, sent by a friend struggling with mental illness, sent a shockwave through her bones. She hurried out of the classroom, heart pounding, desperate to reach her friend. When she couldn’t reach her friend, she rushed to the guidance counselor to contact her friend’s parents. Luckily, this time had a happy ending, and everything worked itself out, but that moment stuck with her.
During Nova Lab, a class where students take on passion projects. She knew exactly what she wanted to do. Inspired by her friend’s struggle and a family member’s hospitalization for mental health, Ava wanted to train her dog to be a therapy dog to help her fellow students and eventually bring to college with her when the time came. Her teacher, Mr. Heidt, challenged her to think beyond herself and pursue a project that could help the broader school community. That’s when the lightbulb went off: what if she, instead of training her dog to become a therapy dog, what if the school got a facility dog to support the student body?
Ava’s newfound goal was simple but powerful: to make school a little brighter. “After COVID, so many people were struggling—whether it was anxiety about being in school or just getting out of bed in the morning. I wanted the dog to help with that. To make school feel like a place people actually wanted to be.”
The district initially responded that it was a great idea, but it could not fund or insure a dog in a district building without policy. Ava needed a policy to allow a facility dog on campus, and while she had the drive, she lacked experience writing policies. With the support of Mrs. Zielinski, Ava found that Mr. Dean Miller and Mrs. Kim Boyd were already in the process of writing a policy for service dogs in the district.
With some policy writing in motion, Mrs. Zielinski and Ava visited two school districts that had already launched a facility dog. These visits were invaluable, providing insights into policy development, the dog care team and handling, and the transformative power of a facility dog. The biggest takeaway from these visits was the policy of one of the school districts. Perkiomen Valley’s initial draft mirrored one of the schools they visited with language that was more appropriate for Perkiomen Valley. With a draft in hand, it was time to get supporters from the Wellness Committee and present to the full board for approval.
Once approved, it was a waiting game. Perkiomen Valley School District got in line at Dog Sense, a company specializing in training Facility Dogs. Unfortunately, Facility Dogs aren’t easy to come by. It is all about the timing of when they can get dogs, train the dog, and see if the dog is a good fit to be a Facility Dog. The wait could take over a year!
Luckily, Perkiomen Valley School District didn’t have to wait long. A dog was available in late May 2024. Enter Ken, a calm yet playful Goldendoodle. When Ava met Ken for the first time, it was a magical moment. “I remember Wendy handed me the leash, and I walked him up and down the auditorium. He was so excited yet composed—it was amazing, especially for how young he was!” she recalled. Though her initial goal was to place the dog at the high school, the project found a home at Middle School West where Mrs. Zielinski, the faculty champion for a Facility Dog, moved after Ava graduated.
But she doesn’t want the Facility Dog to stop with West. “I’d love to see a dog in every school in the district. I think I would want to start with East because I went to East, and if I heard that West had a facility dog, I would be mad. So I think that ideally we would get one in the East. And then I would really hope we would get one at the high school soon,” she said. But Ava could also see a second dog starting somewhere else. “My cousin is at the high school now, and I keep thinking, ‘You need a dog!’” she joked. “This is really selfish, but I want him to have that experience because I want him to come home one day and be like, Oh my god, today was such a good day. I got to hang out with whatever the dog at the high school’s name is. And I’ll be like, “You’re welcome!”
Beyond a middle school setting and high school setting, Ava sees the benefit of a facility dog in elementary schools. “A lot of schools talked about having the students read to dogs at the elementary level,” Ava noted. “And especially with what’s going on with literacy rates in that younger generation, I think that would be really, really valuable.”
Since graduating from Perkiomen Valley High School in 2024, Ava is a neuroscience major at Temple University. She looks back on the experience as a huge learning curve but also one of her proudest achievements. Writing a policy and getting everyone on board was a massive challenge, but it taught her how to be confident, speak up, and make things happen. One of her favorite moments? Getting a photo of students with Ken, sent by her old guidance counselor, Mrs. Zielinski, on a day when she really needed a pick-me-up. “It reminded me why I did this. Seeing the dog bring joy to people’s lives—it’s just the best feeling.”
We asked her about her future and if the process of getting a Facility Dog to Perkiomen Valley influenced what she now hopes to do, and it seems that a little piece of it has stuck. “I’m hoping to do something with behavior,” Ava said, “and I’ve become increasingly interested in animal behavior. I’m not sure if that’s what I want to do something with that or just something with human behavior, but definitely something in that field.”
From pre-calc chaos to bringing a facility dog to the district, Ava proved that one idea—and a lot of determination—can make a huge difference.
Perkiomen Valley School District Foundation is proud to support Ava’s idea of bringing a Facility Dog to help students at Middle School West and hopefully soon, across the District.
Support Ken
To bring Ken to West in the 24-25 school year, our grant recipients took out a loan to cover the significant costs of acquiring and training such an excellent companion. The Foundation is seeking your support to help repay the loan so Ken and the West staff can continue to provide these essential services. After the initial year, Ken will require continued funding for food, treats and toys, grooming, and medical care.
Support Projects like Ken, the Facility Dog
Teachers don’t always have access to materials, technology, and other resources that can make the difference between a lesson that is forgotten the next day and one that lasts beyond graduation. That’s where you come in. Your contribution to the PVSD Foundation helps ensure that the Foundation can continue to support teachers in delivering enriching educational opportunities for all students when tax dollars and traditional revenue streams fall short.