Furry Friends: Buster, Betty and Lucy Brighten the Day at Rise

When you visit the Rise Center, one of the first things to do is ask where Buster, Betty and Lucy are located.

Once you find them, it’s guaranteed they will brighten your day.

You may be thinking you are asking to meet some students or staff, however, this trio is a bit different.

Buster the bunny along and his Guinea pig friends Betty and Lucy have brought plenty of additional happiness to the Rise Center.

Residing in Emily Laporte’s office, all three have a great home with one of the Rise Center’s BCBA’s.

“This really all started as a fluke,” Laporte said. “There was another bunny in a different classroom that started the idea of having some animals for the students. Eventually, Buster joined our little Rise family followed by Betty and Lucy.”

ANIMAL TIME

Each day students and staff can come down and visit the little furry friends. Students can earn the opportunity to spend some time with them, and staff can always take an opportunity on a break or at some point throughout the day to swing by and say hi. On special occasions, Laporte will bring a member of the trio or all of them to a classroom.

“If I have a lot of students from one classroom who want to play with the animals, I go down to the classroom,” Laporte said. “Otherwise we have a two-student and two-staff rule at all times if they come in here to the office to visit.”

It’s become quite common to see students taking some time to talk with Buster, Betty and Lucy and share about their day with them or tell them what their plans are for the evening or weekend.

“It’s funny to see how the kids just open up to them so easily,” Laporte said. “I love to see how free the kids feel when they are with the animals. That’s such a rewarding part of this.”

LEARNING OPPORTUNITY

Not only do the animals provide a chance to relax and reset, they also generate lessons about responsibility.

Taking care of animals and how to hold and interact with them is taught on a regular basis. Additionally, students need to be at their best in the classroom and with behavior to earn time with their furry friends.

“The responsibility and accountability aspect of this is what I believe is the best part for the students. They know what they need to do to earn their reward time, and with all of this in mind, what’s a better way to spend a bit of your time than chilling with Buster, Betty and Lucy?”