Meet Fletcher the school dog! This beautiful golden retriever has been picked as our cover star for this year's pet guide and we can confirm he is a 100 per cent good boy.
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Fletcher plays a very important role in the lives of the students attending St Thomas More's Primary School, providing some much-needed support.
Dog mum and teacher Cassie O'Neill has had Fletcher since he was was eight weeks old, now at the age of eight, he has found a new calling as a school dog.
"It all started about a year and a half ago, I would bring Fletcher into school on the weekends while I was marking, he just loved the school," Cassie said.
"We have a number of students with anxiety, behavioural and learning difficulties. School can be stressful for many students and we find they may need a brain break but it was really hard to find activities that would work for everyone.
"One day I brought Flethcer into school and he straight away sensed which students needed him, he would lay under their desks allowing them to pat him, they weren't distracted and were still actively participating.
"When we have floortime Fletcher will come and sit next to the students that are a bit more fiddly, so we aren't using fiddle tools as we have Fletcher."
Fletcher hangs out in Cassie's classroom every Friday for Fletcher Fridays but always welcomes visitors.
"Fletcher isn't a therapy or assistance dog he's a school dog so we encourage all the students to take ownership of him," Cassie said.
"Students will come up needing a bit of a break from their class and take Fletcher for a walk.
Somedays I don't see him as he is busy doing the rounds and making sure everyone is ok."
Students have really settled in with Fletcher and instead of causing a distraction he's there for support, storytime and playtime.
"The kids have adjusted really well and don't find him distracting, it's been beautiful to see the difference it has made to the kids, they practice reading aloud to him, they confide in him and if they need a break they take him for a walk," Cassie said.
"Fletcher is super calm it's a bit like having another child in the classroom, but one that has the best influence on everyone around him."
Fletcher wears a very dashing coat when he goes to school so everyone knows he has a job to do.
"Fletcher and the kids know that when he has his school coat on its classroom time, but once it comes off its time to play so once it comes off he is out there with the kids playing footy, following them down the slide and running away with their tennis balls," Cassie said.
Fletcher and the students at St Thomas More's will continue to enjoy Fletcher Fridays with the support and help of the school's support services.
To read more stories from Pets of Launceston click here.