He’s shorter than all faculty and staff at Riverside-Brookfield High School, and has a full body of hair, to boot.
But he’s just as friendly and serves an important purpose at the school.
He’s Harley, a golden retriever that is RB’s new facility dog. In fact, his new nickname is Happy Harley. He’s been at school off and on for the past couple of years but is now full time.
His handler is Dave Mannon, assistant principal for student affairs, who said Harley has made a splash already so early into the school year.
“He’s known, when he’s out and about,” Mannon said. “Freshman orientation was this morning, and he was going up and down the bleachers in the gym, we were in the hallway and things like that.
“We sent the message out and it went viral. It was one of our most liked pages on our social media feeds.”
RB Superintendent Kevin Skinkis is among Harley’s many fans.
“Having our own facility dog on campus to provide ongoing comfort and social-emotional support has been an important project, not just for the administration, but also for the board of education,” Skinkis said. “The staff is excited to have Harley here, and we look forward to a successful 2025-2026 school year with our newest team member.”
Let’s be clear, though. Harley, who lives at Mannon’s home and comes to school each day with him, is not a service dog, according to Lisa Wernli, co-founder of Canines 4 Comfort in Gurnee, where three-year-old Harley was trained and returns weekly for ongoing work.
“We call him a facility dog or a comfort dog,” Wernli said. “Service dogs are one-to-one, and they help a person with a medical condition or disability, where a facility dog is assigned to a school or police department. We have several facility dogs that are in first responder teams, police departments, fire departments, the court system and schools.
“It’s a one-to-many ratio.”
Harley’s job is to keep everyone chill, using today’s teenage vernacular. Mannon said Harley is there when students arrive in the morning and at dismissal, along with passing periods. Plus, his job description will include supporting deans who are working with students who need help calming down.
Dave Clark, a Canines 4 Comfort volunteer who trained Harley, said facility dogs add a lot of value to schools.
“They lower blood pressure, they instantly make you feel better if you’ve had a bad day,” Clark said. “It’s indescribable how much comfort they bring. Harley will be around the same lines. He’s there for emotional support.”
Wernli added that Harley has been trained to interact with students and staff, and school activities.
“Some (schools) will have them work with speech therapists, they’ll do reading programs with students, they’ll do math,” she said. “In schools where students might have emotional breakdowns, they can help de-escalate situations.
“The dog just having a presence can help a student open up or a staff member open up. It brings a sense of calmness. The dogs are able to help people tell their story. They are non-judgmental.”
Mannon isn’t aware of any other high school in the area that has a facility dog like Harley, though Maine South and Maine East do, as does a high school in the Rockford area.
You’ll see him at sporting events, too, and he also played a role in the district’s residency events that were held every Wednesday in July.
“He thrives in environments like this,” Mannon said, adding that while Harley doesn’t draw a salary, “he’ll be well-fed.”