A special education teacher and her therapy dog at a Kansas school are ending a shared career in education as they retire together after supporting thousands of students.

Debora Hess, a special education teacher and counselor in Topeka, is stepping down after 42 years in education at her school, where she worked closely with her therapy dog Ace. Hess said therapy dogs helped create a calming classroom environment and supported student learning, a practice she began years earlier with her first dog, Cooper, before Ace joined through a school PTO-funded training effort.

With Ace nearing 13 and retiring from classroom visits, Hess decided it was the right time for them to leave together. She says she is proud of the thousands of students she has worked with and hopes to stay connected to education in some way after retirement.

wibw.com