Gatehouse Media NIE
Welcome to the Newspapers In Education Programs of Wickedlocal.com
GO TO YOUR PUBLICATION PAGE TO ACCESS THE 2011-2012 MATERIALS
This month's special supplement is sponsored by Harbor One Credit Union
MEET DAKOTA
THE 2011-2012 PET IDOL AND NEWSPAPERS IN EDUCATION MASCOT!
At 30 inches tall and 150 pounds, Dakota is a little chubby, but there's no shortage of love in his life. Dakota is a 6-year-old, full-grown miniature horse from Weston.
The 2011 Pet Idol contest winner is starting to share the love as an activity assistant in schools, nursing homes and with therapists. Since winning the title of Pet Idol, he's also responsible for providing newspapers to many kids in schools through the Newspapers In Education program. That's because Dakota's owners decided to donate the contest's grand prize back to the program.
“When we walk him down the street, people stop their cars and get out,” said Dakota's owner, Cynthia Wagner. “We have friends whose dogs are bigger than him.”
She knew that Dakota's fans would spend a little to vote for him in the contest because, as a parent of three, she understands the importance of providing resources to classrooms. “We just knew in this economy that it's important to us to donate back to the community,” she said. “We know people who would like to donate to causes like this but are having a hard time this year.”
Other pets, like Thomas the goldfish, Trixie the rabbit, Geoffrey, a pig, and Karinne, a lizard, also brought in votes – and donations – through the community contest. Photos are still visible on the contest website.
Wagner's children visit Dakota at a friend's barn after school almost every day. The family bought Dakota as a baby and hoped to leave him with a trainer so he'd become a pet therapy assistant, but circumstances intervened, the family fell in love and until now Dakota largely remained a pet. Now Wagner is stepping up her efforts, taking classes, and using every opportunity to familiarize Dakota with the chaos of children's classrooms and unknown objects like wheelchairs.
“It's incredible what horses in therapy and education programs can do,” she said. “I just spent three days at a therapeutic riding center where every child always had a smile on his face.” She hopes someday to bring the diminutive horse to hospitals to assist with healing.
“Now my goal is to get him out there and have people learn about him.”
THE PET IDOL CONTEST HAS ENDED!
THANK YOU TO ALL PARTICIPANTS!
www.petidolnie.com
Proceeds will go to Newspapers in Education and a portion goes to the MSPCA
NIE
WHAT IS NIE?
![Au09LC-06-TP_NIE_Kids[1].jpg](/imagebrowser/view/image/181/preview)
Newspapers in Education (NIE) is a nationally recognized collaboration between corporate and community sponsors, local schools, and Gatehouse Media New England. NIE provides newspapers and educational materials to local schools at no cost, to enhance learning and promote literacy in the classroom and throughout the community.
Our NIE program is a valuable resource to teachers throughout Eastern Massachusetts. With coverage of local, national and world news, human interest stories, sports, weather and more, our network of award-winning newspapers and learning supplements offers many educational benefits to local classrooms. NIE encourages reading and writing development NIE cultivates critical thinking NIE sharpens math and problem solving skills NIE makes the connection between, schools, community, business, and the newspaper!