North Zulch ISD fundraising for facility dog after loss of senior
District hopes to raise $24,000 through Bella’s Buddies partnership
NORTH ZULCH, Texas (KBTX) - North Zulch Independent School District (ISD) is raising money to bring a trained facility dog to campus following the death of a graduating senior last spring.
The district is working toward a $24,000 goal to purchase and train a certified facility dog through Bella’s Buddies, an organization that trains and places facility dogs in schools. The school board approved the partnership in June.
A loss that sparked the effort
The push began after graduating senior Chloe Rae McLain died last spring.
“She had a heart of gold and she really made a difference in our district,” said Kori Batten, North Zulch ISD Counselor. “It was a very tough situation to see her go when she did and not get to graduate.”
When counselors came to support North Zulch students and staff, they brought a facility dog — a dog trained to work in environments such as schools, hospitals and courtrooms.
“We had a lot of local counselors reach out to come provide additional support to our students and our staff because it was a difficult time,” Batten said. “And so when they came out they did bring one of their facility dogs.”
Neighboring district offers a model
Centerville ISD’s facility dog, Peaches, has been on campus for about two and a half years and is part of what inspired North Zulch’s effort.
“It brings such a peace over people when they enter the building, they see her,” said Sarah Irish, Centerville ISD elementary counselor. “There’s a lot of excitement and joy that comes with it.”
Irish added that the impact is visible. “You can see it on the students’ faces… on the teachers’ faces there’s like a sense of relief like ‘oh, you know, Peaches is here.’”
Fundraising underway
The district started by approaching local businesses and has since opened the fundraiser to the broader community, including students.
“Because we are so far out from the large city, some of the resources are limited,” Batten said. “And having this opportunity to bring a dog in, I think, would help us bridge some of those gaps.”
As of the latest update, the district has raised approximately $7,100 of its $24,000 goal.
“We are a fourth of the way to the goal right now,” Batten said. “We’ve had some very generous donors.”
Batten said no amount is too small and that sponsorship levels are available for interested businesses.
‘Paws for a Cause Wall’
To get students involved, the district created a “Paws for a Cause Wall” in the cafeteria. Students who donate $1, $5, $10 or $20 can write their name on a paw print and see it displayed as the wall grows.
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