Northern Hills MS Students Threw a Birthday Party for Their Therapy Dog Muffin

Northern Hills Middle School started this week with a little extra excitement in the air (and maybe the smell of baked goods, too.)

Students and staff came together on Monday morning to celebrate Muffin, a one-year-old support dog who just joined the school via the Forest Hills PRIDE Pup program.

To mark the occasion, the school threw Muffin an adorable birthday party complete with muffins for the entire building, thanks to a donation from SpartanNash. Everyone got to sing “Happy Birthday” to their new furry friend while enjoying a sweet treat in her honor.

(Big Joe and I got an invite to the party, and it was sweeter than the super yummy muffins we got to share with students who came!)

Muffin isn’t just a school mascot, though. She’s a specially trained PRIDE Pup whose job is to help students feel calm, connected, and supported throughout the school day.

The Forest Hills PRIDE Pup program started in 2023 and was created to provide emotional support for students and staff through the district’s PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) framework.

Each dog is highly trained to offer companionship, ease stress, and help promote positive school culture. Muffin joins 12 other dogs in the district who help students throughout the school day.

Around the building, you’ll find designated “pet zones” on benches where students can visit her when they need a few moments of comfort. When she’s not greeting kids, she spends time in the counselor’s office, lending a paw to anyone who might be having a hard time.

Muffin is specially trained to know when someone is feeling any amount of distress, and does her best to calm them down and cheer them up.

Program leaders say the dogs also encourage social skills, emotional regulation, and literacy through reading activities with students. Each PRIDE Pup is trained through Interquest CARES, with school handlers and host families making sure the dogs are cared for both during and after school.

For Northern Hills students, though, Muffin’s presence is a reminder that kindness can be quiet, healing can look like a wagging tail. And sometimes, the best therapy comes with a muffin on the side.