Silas the dog can be seen roaming the halls on Nov. 13 at Spruce Mountain Elementary School in Jay. Leo Goddard/Franklin Journal

JAY — On Tuesdays and Thursdays, one four-legged volunteer is greeted with warmth and delight in the halls and classrooms of Spruce Mountain Elementary School [SMES]. Silas is not your average volunteer, he is the school pet.

Silas is a certified therapy dog who belongs to SMES teacher Susan Boothby, though when he is at school, he is the resident furry friend. Silas can be found roaming the halls and weaving in between classrooms, usually looking for food scraps and trash.

Boothby said that she started bringing Silas to school last fall after receiving approval from Principal Pat St. Clair and Superintendent Scott Albert.

Teacher Susan Boothby demonstrates some of Silas’s commands including ‘lay down’ and ‘crawl’ on Nov. 13 at Spruce Mountain Elementary School in Jay. Leo Goddard/Franklin Journal

“The kids and teachers adore him,” said Boothby. “He likes to sit in the entryway in the morning as kids arrive.” Boothby said that she’s heard feedback that the school environment is calmer when Silas is around.

In this video, Silas the dog can be seen walking through an empty classroom doing some light cleaning [looking for scraps of food to eat] on Nov 13, at Spruce Mountain Elementary School in Jay.

Silas is a certified therapy dog through the Love on a Leash program. Boothby said that Silas had to go through a K9 good citizen test, a therapy dog evaluation test, 10 supervised visits, be proven to have a good temperament, and know 10 basic commands in order to become a therapy dog.

Silas the dog walks through the hallway with students and staff on Nov. 13 at Spruce Mountain Elementary School in Jay. Leo Goddard/Franklin Journal

Though Silas is just the school pet while he’s at SMES, Boothby regularly takes him to libraries, nursing homes, and hospitals as a therapy dog to comfort those in need. Boothby exhibited some of the commands that Silas knows such as one where he puts his front paws up on the table in order to provide easier access to pets for people who have a harder time reaching down, from hospital beds for example. During those visits he typically wears a special vest.

Boothby shared that on Nov. 21 she will be taking Silas to Treat Memorial Library to supervise a therapy dog trainee.

Silas has only tried to make a break for it a couple of times, according to Boothby. She said that there was one day that children erupted into screams and giggles as Silas ran out the door while kids were going out to recess. She said he zoomed around the playground before he was brought back inside.

Silas walks through Susan Boothby’s classroom on Nov. 13 at Spruce Mountain Elementary School in Jay. Leo Goddard/Franklin Journal

Boothby shared that Silas can sometimes be found getting into the trashcans, as dogs tend to do, but mostly he just walks around bringing smiles to the faces of those he passes by.