This year, a different classmate named Coyote was welcome by the students at “La Camaradière” school to accompany his beneficiary. 

Marie-Andrée Gagnon,  specialize education’s teacher at “La Camaradière”, has for the first time Coyote in her class and she was absolutely excited and enthusiast when she first met him. Coyote is a Mira dog who is helping a child suffering from autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This lovely Labernese started to lead his best friend four years ago. Mira Foundation needs to do a complex investigation about the staff and the students allergies before welcoming a dog at school. The beneficiary also needs to be trained adequatly to handle his companion.

Ms. Gagnon revealed the nickname she gave to Coyote. She calls him “poisson rouge” ,which stands for gold fish , because she thinks that he has things in common with it. First of all, you can not touch him and secondly, just by looking at him, she automatically gets her head in the clouds.

“Coyote helps all the people around him not only his beneficiary said Marie-Andrée. He always stays put and remains silent in class. When he yawns or makes a sound, it makes us laugh a lot.”

Beside making people smile, he helps the beneficiary to connect with people and socialise. In Coyote’s case the teenage boy had a great academic improvement. The beneficiary also started to talk more with other students in his class.

(written by Anne-Florence Leblond and Maude Blouin; edited by Marianne Perreault)