The St. Ignace News: Meet Nova The New Safety Dog at St. Ignace Area Schools

Nova, a one-year-old black Labrador Retriever, is the newest safety measure at St. Ignace Area Schools. She can sniff out firearms and explosives while also providing emotional support.

By: ERICH T. DOERR | The St. Ignace News | January 23, 2024

The St. Ignace Area Schools have brought in a special recruit to help improve safety, and she’s got four legs and a tail. Nova, a safety dog trained for firearm and explosive detection and student emotional support, made her debut Monday, January 22, alongside her trainer, Jessica Myjak. Both will be familiar faces to students in the coming months.

“We’re really excited at the St. Ignace Area Schools to have this opportunity to enhance safety,” Superintendent Kari Visnaw said.

Nova has been trained for her new duties by Zebra K9, a Waterford-based dog training team that is licensed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. St. Ignace is the sixth Michigan school district and the first in the Upper Peninsula to deploy one of Zebra K9’s teams on a full-time basis. Mrs. Myjak and Nova will be helping at the school as part of a six-month pilot program during the second semester of the academic year, from now until June. If it is a success and funding can be secured, the pair could continue working at the school in the future.

Nova and Mrs. Myjak will patrol St. Ignace Elementary and Middle School and LaSalle High School, checking lockers, hallways, and the grounds. Nova’s trained nose can sniff out any hidden firearms or explosives. She will also serve as a friendly visitor, ready to provide emotional support to students, teachers, administrators, and parents in need.

“She loves to work,” Mrs. Myjak said, adding that Nova is also excited to begin. “It’s her favorite thing.”

Nova is a one-year-old, purebred black Labrador retriever. She came from a breeder in Virginia and was trained in Waterford before making her way north. It took her eight weeks to get ready for this assignment, including four weeks working with Mrs. Myjak. When she’s on the job, she wears a special Zebra K9 vest, noting that people should ask before petting her. Mrs. Myjak said the dog loves receiving affection from the students.

Nova was given her current name by Colton Myjak, a St. Ignace second grader and Mrs. Myjak’s son, after initially being called Rosa. Mrs. Myjak thinks the name fits her well, noting that Nova is full of energy. The dog likes children, making her an ideal fit to work in a school.

Their first assignment was lighthearted, as they greeted high school students when they arrived for class Monday morning. It didn’t take long for the ebony-colored canine to start winning over students, prompting remarks about her being cute and “I love her already.” Several members of the school staff were also present, greeting the students by name and inviting them over to pet her. Nova was introduced to the district’s younger students later in the day. Many students were surprised the district hired a dog team but thought it was a good idea.

Student Ewen Croteau said having a therapy dog in the school felt cool and urban, noting she previously attended a school with a similar arrangement. Her friend, Morgan Nowicki, thought Nova was adorable. Kollin Bird said Nova reminded him of his personal pet dog, another black lab named Bear. Madison Stefanski and Riley Cole both liked having her at the school.

Mrs. Visnaw is pleased with how Nova is an innovative preventive safety measure the school can take while also offering students emotional help. The dog will greet students at both the elementary/middle school and high school. A schedule is being developed. Nova could also help at school assemblies and sporting events. Mrs. Visnaw is hopeful Nova will connect with students, and her arrival could open the door for other local schools to establish similar programs.

Zebra K9 trains safety dogs for use at schools, hospitals, businesses, and events. This pilot program came about after a St. Ignace alumnus who now works for the company brought it to the district’s attention. The company has been working with six districts, representing 40 individual schools, statewide since opening last year.

“It’s a huge blessing that we are able to do this,” Zebra K9 President and CEO Greg Guidice said, noting the goal is for its dogs to become part of each school where they work.

Nova’s training focused on positive reinforcement, teaching her to associate the smells she needs to find with her favorite toy, a squeaky tennis ball. The selection of a black lab for this assignment is not coincidental; the company uses Labradors for school assignments because they are seen as a friendly breed that students will associate with pet dogs. It is a goal for the students to bond with Nova and hopefully increase positive behavior. The company also trains other breeds of dogs more associated with police work, such as German Shepherds, for work in other facilities like hospitals.

Many of the company’s dog trainers have prior detection dog training experience, often with the police or military. Mrs. Myjak joins the program having come from a background of training dogs for both hunting and field trials. She said the biggest difference between Nova and her hunting dogs is that Nova needs to work on a leash while hunting dogs do not.

Mrs. Myjak and Nova will operate from an office at the elementary and middle school buildings and from the library at the high school. Their patrols will be randomized. On their first day, Mrs. Myjak said it warmed her heart to see several students already getting to know the team, and she said she is looking forward to getting to know more students.

When she’s not on duty, Nova lives with the Myjak family. The family has two other dogs, both German shorthaired pointers, and Mrs. Myjak said Nova is getting along great with them. Nova could have a working life of eight to 10 years, and Zebra K9 trainers have the option to keep their dogs once they retire.

Zebra K9’s dogs are intended to be more of a preventative solution to stopping risks and deterring threats before they happen than other measures that only react to an emergency. School districts that are interested in the Zebra K9 program can find out more about it on its website, zebrak9.com.

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UPword: Nova, a Labrador retriever, is part of the safety team at St. Ignace Area Schools

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