Walking down the hallways, she wags her tail with joy. Now that it’s time for her to go. A joyful, yet mischievous, puppy will leave North to get trained to be a guide dog. Like every year around this time, LIGHT counselor Karen Gordon takes her temporarily adopted puppy to the Guide Dog Foundation, and this time it’s Susie. Susie has become very close to everyone at North since she carries former principal Dr. Susie Fegraeus’ first name.

“Every dog that I have becomes part of our family,” Gordon said. “Usually when they turn eight months old that’s when I start walking them beside me on a leash. But there are some kids and teachers in this building that when she sees them she goes nuts, and she cannot control herself.”

Usually when a dog grows up they mature, but Susie still acts like a baby. Although her training has made her more obedient she still misbehaves. She has eaten several of her own vests and items at Gordon’s home. According to Gordon, this behavior comes in Susie’s breed, saying Labradors are very immature until they are 18 months old. But around other dogs, Gordon said Susie is the most well-behaved dog.

“When [Susie is] with me she’s working,” Gordon said. “She’s supposed to be wearing her vest but she has eaten two of them. She has also eaten two dollar bills out of my car. She’s very expensive.”

Usually Gordon keeps a dog for a year to help them in their basic training, but Susie will have spent 15 months here, by the time she leaves in January.

“She’s so goofy,” Gordon said. “I have never kept [a dog] as long as I’ve kept Susie. It’s probably going to be really difficult [to let her go].”