NORTHBROOK, IL — Helping others is important to Wood Oaks Junior High School, especially through the Northbrook school’s Wildcats Care initiative. That was evident recently when students began making get-well cards for Chloe, the Northbrook Police Department’s therapy dog who recently began treatment for a malignant mast cell tumor.
“This activity was just a starting point for how our school wants to continue to help others in our building, in our local community and in the wider community,” Wood Oaks Principal Cari Beake tells Patch. “We hope our theme of ‘Wildcats Care’ becomes something we can continue beyond this school year.”
As Patch reported earlier this month, Chloe, who became the police department’s first therapy dog in 2021, will be out of service for four to six weeks due to the tumor and subsequent treatment. The NPD reached out to the community and asked for get-well cards for their canine friends.
“One of our goals this year is to build a sense of community and think about how we can help others,” Beake said. “Students who have pets, whose friends or relatives have been sick, or who have been sick themselves, know how much comfort it can bring to know that someone thought about them enough to send them well wishes.”
According to the school district, Chloe greeted students on the first day of school last year, and students, staff and administration alike say they miss her.
