Meet Charger, The Golden Retriever Tasked With Supporting Wallin Oaks Students

PLAINFIELD, IL — An almost-three-year-old golden retriever is Plainfield School District 202's newest member. The furry friend, Charger, is working as a facility dog at Wallin Oaks Elementary School.

Charger's first day on duty at the district's newest elementary school, which opened in August on Plainfield's Wallin Drive, was in September. Lead handler and social worker Amanda Lulek said she waited three years for the dog.

"In September, we finally got the call that we were going to go to training to get him," she said in a District 202 video introducing the dog to the community Friday. "We didn't know what kind of dog or anything like that, so we're so, so thankful to have him because he has fit in perfectly."

Wallin Oaks's mascot may be a German shepherd, but Charger is the school's "golden K-9," Lulek said. He was barely a newborn — only three days old — when he first began training. His third birthday is coming up in May.

The video shows Lulek walking Charger around school halls, introducing him to children and letting them pet him. He'll even lay in kids' laps and give them hugs and kisses.

"Facility dog is a good mix between a therapy and a service dog, so his role in what he's trained to do is really to help within the school setting," Lulek said, continuing to explain that Charger is more trained and knows more cues than a therapy dog.

Since starting at the school, Charger has succeeded at making students happy. Lulek said parents have told her that just seeing the dog's tail has made their children's days.

In the video, students say they like that Charger is kind and "gives people love."

"I think socially and emotionally, just the presence of a dog changes everything," she said.

Charger isn't District 202's first support dog. Several others have worked with the district in the past, including Leroy, who is currently at Plainfield Academy, Simi at Creekside Elementary School, Chloe at Plainfield North High School, and Mooch at Plainfield Central High School.

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