FT. PIERCE, FL -- A teacher's pet has managed to win the hearts and minds of some of St. Lucie County's most challenging students.
The pet, in this case, is a golden retriever named Abigail.
Her owner and trainer, art teacher Dan Galloway, has been taking her to class with him for years. He says Abigail has a way of getting through to students more than any textbook or teaching technique.
"Something magic is happening," he says.
Abigail and Dan work mainly with special needs students, helping them to build confidence and perform simple tasks. The students learn to walk Abigail, teaching her to sit, roll over, and even jump in their laps.
Cathy Lewis, a special needs teacher at Dan McCarty Middle School, says she's seen her students make amazing progress.
"It's been a miracle for my kids, truly," she says.
But it's Abigail's talent with words that really sets her apart.
Galloway has taught Abigail to "read" 8 different words, including "sit," "get," "down," and "roll."
She can perform the tasks just by viewing the cue cards.
"It's like sight reading. She's memorizing the shape of the word. She's already learned the behavior," he says.
The students are so accustomed to Abigail, they don't seem to realize how extraordinary she is. But maybe that's part of her magic. The kids think of her as another classmate who learns as they do.
"That’s my hope - that the kids will become more motivated, more interested in reading because having this dog that can read has got to be motivating," says Galloway.
