Back to School with Brady

ICAN Client Crystal Bratton and her facility dog Brady.

As students return to Jackson Creek Middle School in Bloomington this fall, one member of the school community is just as excited for the new school year: Brady, the school’s black Labrador facility dog.

“Summers are hard for Brady,” school counselor Crystal Bratton shared with a smile. “He loves being at school. Being around the students is what makes him happiest.”

Crystal is beginning her fourth year as a counselor at Jackson Creek Middle School. After the COVID-19 pandemic, she and her husband, both educators, saw firsthand the growing social and emotional needs of students.

Brady’s yearbook photo.

Inspired by another educator in the district who was partnered with an Indiana Canine Assistant Network (ICAN) facility dog, Crystal applied for a facility dog while teaching special education at Bloomington North High School.

Although she changed positions before being matched, Brady arrived at exactly the right time. A few months into her new role, Crystal asked her school’s social worker to be Brady’s secondary handler. Together, they attended ICAN’s Team Training, where they learned how to work as Brady’s handlers and built a strong partnership that continues to support students.

During ICAN’s two-week Team Training, the pair learned directly from Brady’s incarcerated handlers, mastering his cues, building confidence together, and preparing to return home as a team.

Since being paired in October 2023, Brady’s role has continued to evolve. Each morning, he greets students in the atrium with his “say hello” cue, happily accepting pets, offering high-fives and fist bumps, and helping students start their day with a smile.

Crystal and Brady at team training in 2023 at Pendleton Correctional Facility.

But Brady’s work doesn’t end there. Crystal created “Brady’s Bunch,” a program where students sign up to learn about service dogs, explore topics like grooming and training, and even master Brady’s cues. The students take quizzes, demonstrating what they’ve learned, before earning the opportunity to “check out” Brady and bring him along to class.

In Crystal’s counseling office, Brady often becomes the perfect conversation starter.

“For some students, meeting with the counselor can feel scary or intimidating,” Crystal said. “Brady breaks the ice and makes it easier for them to walk through the door.”

Whether he’s gently nudging a student who has their head down or simply being a comforting presence, Brady has a way of finding the people who need him most.

Working with Brady has also changed the way Crystal approaches her students. One lesson from Team Training has stayed with her: Set them up for success. Just as Brady was thoughtfully trained to be successful as a facility dog, Crystal now asks herself whether she has given each student the tools they need to succeed.

Brady assisting a student at school.

Today, Brady has become a beloved figure throughout the school district, and Crystal is helping other educators change lives, too. She has created a Facility Dog Handbook that outlines the process, answers common questions, and helps schools navigate what it takes to welcome an ICAN facility dog.

For Crystal, the experience has been just as life-changing as Brady’s impact on the students.

“Every step of the journey with an ICAN facility dog teaches you something,” she said. “It’s an experience that changes you for the better and one that will stay with me for the rest of my life.”

Thanks to the generosity of donors and volunteers who make these partnerships possible, even more students can benefit from a facility dog.

You can join in making a difference—visit icandog.org to learn how.