Students at Shadow Ridge are now greeted by a friendly face that’s a little furrier than most. Widdle, the school’s new therapy dog, has officially joined the Mustang family, bringing calming energy and plenty of smiles to campus. Every other Tuesday, students can find Widdle roaming the quad during lunch, soaking up pets and attention as she makes her rounds. Her cheerful presence has already made her a favorite among students.

“They were all so excited, a lot of them even asked if she could come every day instead of just twice a month,” counselor, Colleen Neely, said.

Widdle is part of a volunteer therapy dog network that visits schools all across Clark County, offering students and teachers a chance to relax and de-stress.

Each team includes a certified handler and their trained therapy dog, and all visits are completely free for schools. Handler Moe Borosky, who’s been visiting CCSD schools for years, explained how these visits can brighten the entire campus atmosphere.

“We visit staff offices too, it’s nice for everyone to get a few minutes with the dogs, it changes the whole mood for the day,” Borosky states.

When she isn’t at Shadow Ridge, Widdle is busy spreading kindness across Las Vegas. She regularly visits places like St. Jude’s Ranch, UNLV, LVMPD, and Child Haven, clocking anywhere from one to eight hours of therapy work each week. She’s also started task training in hopes of earning her service dog certification soon.

Her growing list of achievements already includes CGC, Novice Trick, rattlesnake avoidance, therapy dog, UNR victim advocate, and even a certified “best friend” award. But it’s not just her skills that make Widdle special, it’s her style too. She’s known for her collection of nearly 100 different bows that she swaps out depending on the occasion. For example, she wears pink bows for breast cancer awareness, blue ones for Shadow Ridge spirit, and yellow when she’s called to court.

Outside of her therapy work, Widdle lives a fun and adventurous life. She loves hiking, paddle boarding, playing in the snow, and, like any good dog, pulling the stuffing out of her favorite plush toys.

Whether she’s Ms. Widdle, Babygirl, or Big Girl (as students like to call her), one thing’s for sure: she’s already left her paw print on Shadow Ridge.