District 15 students plant tree in memory of therapy dog

Cathi Fisher first noticed Biscuit’s aptitude for helping others when the golden retriever puppy brought over a toy to calm a fussy baby she was baby-sitting.

Biscuit would go on to become certified for animal-assisted therapy, and for the next 11 years enriched the lives of countless hospital patients and later special needs students at Conyers Learning Academy in Rolling Meadows.

So it was with a heavy heart that Fisher, a Palatine Township Elementary District 15 speech pathologist, had to explain to her students that Biscuit got sick and her “body stopped working.”

“It was difficult for many of the children, especially those with multiple needs, to understand that she wouldn’t be coming back,” Fisher said.

To honor Biscuit’s memory, faculty and staff donated a tree and joined students Wednesday morning to plant it in the schoolyard, along with notes, pictures and some of the toys Biscuit carried around the hallways.

Fisher said Biscuit, who wore a district identification badge with her picture and position when she worked, helped numerous students on the autism spectrum, as well as those with cognitive and physical difficulties that left them with no verbal means of communications.

“Biscuit impacted so many people,” Fisher said. “The learning environment just won’t be the same.”

Fisher hopes Biscuit’s story will inspire other animal lovers to explore volunteering their dogs for therapy.