Did you see these fur-balls walking around campus? Wagging tails, and maybe shaking some paws? The puppies’ names are Penelope and Nugget, two cuties who brought cheer to campus for a few weeks at the start of the school year.
Nugget
Nugget is a 6-month-old rescue mix-breed canine and is Assistant Principal Ricci Huling’s adored pet.
She said Nugget has been a part of the Huling family for about four months. Nugget’s favorite toys are those that have antlers and just stuffed toys in general.
Mrs. Huling brought Nugget to school when her husband was out of town because Nugget usually goes to work with him.
Nugget likes to bark at other dogs, but is really wimpy once she meets Penelope, so they have fun playing together, according to Mrs. Huling.
Some of Nugget’s favorite things to do while she was at EHS were to walk around campus every 30 minutes or so. She also liked to walk around during lunch in case she could find any crumbs on the ground.
Mrs. Huling said she believes that all of the students and staff at Elmira High have helped Nugget become more social and not as afraid of strangers.
Penelope
Penelope is a 5-month-old Great Dane-mastiff, and she is Principal Rick Gardner’s puppy companion.
Penelope has been a part of the Gardner family for about three months. Some of her selected favorite toys consist of items that squeak or make noise and are full of stuffing that is easy to pull out.
In deciding to have Penelope accompany him at school, Mr. Gardner said he thought it would be best as he worried she would wreck the couch or make other messes if given the chance to stay home alone.
Penelope’s favorite things to do while she was at EHS included taking walks during lunch. That way, she could catch some fresh air out in the courtyard while getting to interact with students and staff. She was a little social butterfly!
Mr. Gardner no longer intends to bring Penelope to campus regularly as she has been learning to be fully crate-trained. In addition, Mr. Gardner believes that the school’s environment has helped Penelope’s socializing capabilities. She now has great people skills.
We thank Mr. Gardner and Mrs. Huling for introducing us to these adorable pups. Sadly, they are no longer planning to attend EHS. They will be greatly missed, especially during their afternoon walks.
