Eagan has welcomed many new faces this year, from new students to new administrators to a new furry friend- Milo! You may have seen this Schnauzer walking around the halls accompanied by Ms. Lehmann, one of Eagan’s counselors! While he is an adorable addition to Eagan, many students don’t know much about him. I caught up with Ms. Lehmann to learn more about our new furry friend here at Eagan! 

Milo is approaching his fourth birthday and as Ms. Lehmann explained, was adopted for her own family. However, during the time of the pandemic, Ms. Lehmann made the choice to have Milo become a therapy dog: “We have had therapy dogs at Eagan through a volunteer organization who only used dogs through an organization called “ Pet Partners” so I decided to become certified through them!” The process to have Milo become a therapy dog consists of two obedience courses for him and a course of Ms. Lehmann as well to learn how to become a trainer. When asked what the importance of a therapy dog is, especially here at Eagan, Ms. Lehmann responded with, “In my 26 years of being a counselor, this has been the toughest year. We’ve never experienced what kids have experienced in the past few years and being isolated for so long and then having to come back. We have seen depression and anxiety skyrocket. With Milo, now people see him and they just take a pause and they can relax and have a little moment of relaxation and contentment. The difference it’s made is tremendous.”

Milo is a miniature schnauzer who has a strange love of ice: “He hears you open the freezer drawer and he comes running!” explained Ms. Lehmann! Along with ice, Milo has a love for the water, especially changing ducks through the water! When asked about Milo’s personality, Ms. Lehmann responds with, “He is a character! He loves to play and he is such a fun dog! He is such a good listener and he is in love with tummy rubs.” Ms. Lehmann hopes that Milo in the future can be a certified crisis animal, hopefully with the Red Cross!