Will Severson, special education teacher at Free State High School, commutes with his dog, Zoe, riding alongside. The 3-year-old yellow Labrador is a therapy dog for the school.

As hundreds of households across Lawrence bustle about in their back-to-school preparations — shopping for clothes and supplies, squeezing in doctor appointments and readjusting sleep schedules — some approach the first day of school with trepidation or even dread. But such is not the case for Zoë Severson, who can’t wait for the first day of school.

Zoë is a 3-year-old yellow Lab who attends Free State High School as a therapy dog with her owner, special education teacher Will Severson.

“She loves being with people and going to school with Will,” says Margaret Severson, Will’s spouse, “and summertime is actually difficult for her because she doesn’t like staying home. She doesn’t understand when Will goes places without her.”

But having Zoë was the furthest thing from Will’s mind after the couple’s beloved lab, 14-year-old Emma, was put down several years ago and Will and Margaret thought they were finished with pets.

“Emma was so special, and it was hard when she died,” Will says. “And since we like to travel, we thought not having a dog would be easier.”

But after a couple of months, he realized it wasn’t.

“Emma and I walked several times every day,” Will says, “and I missed seeing and talking to people in the neighborhood.”

So the Seversons once again decided to get a dog — but not just any dog.

“I wanted a dog who could go to work with me because I didn’t want to leave her alone every day,” Will says.

Severson, who has been a teacher for twenty years, the last 12 at Free State, was looking for a therapy dog, so he had to find a pet with a good temperament.

“I did a lot of research on bloodlines looking for a place likely to produce puppies with good dispositions,” he says.

The couple knew there were no guarantees, but after finding a breeder with a dog related to Emma, they decided to give it a try.

The Seversons brought Zoë home from Iowa when she was 7 weeks old and took her to puppy school soon thereafter. At 11 months she was tested for the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen award, a requirement for all therapy dogs. She passed with flying colors.

Severson’s research paid off as Zoë turned out to be a good addition not only to his family but to the Free State family as well. In her two years at the high school, Zoë has made a place for herself, blending into the landscape to the point of having her picture in the yearbook alongside everyone else.

“A building that has a dog is a happier place,” Will says. “A dog sends the message is that this is a good place. Kids pet her. They sit on the floor and read with her. They use her as a pillow. They just love her.”

But because Will works with special education students, the benefits of having a therapy dog are tangible and pronounced, he says. Zoë calms students who tend to be volatile and builds up others who lack confidence.

“Last year one of my students was terribly afraid of dogs, and I always had to have Zoë on a leash whenever he was around,” Will says. “Pretty soon this boy got comfortable being in the classroom as long as he and Zoë stayed apart. Then one day I saw this student, who was so afraid of dogs at the beginning of the school year, actually sitting on the floor petting Zoë. I e-mailed his mom a picture of the two of them, and she couldn’t believe it was her son.”

One of Zoë’s biggest fans, Free State principal Ed West, says he likes how “parents and teachers have worked together to figure Zoë into a plan for students.”

West reports that it is not uncommon to see individual students taking Zoë for a walk around the hallways, and that “the impact of ‘therapy’ in Zoë’s title of therapy dog is certainly visible.”

Zoë works with students who have physical challenges as well.

“Kids with fairly severe physical disabilities will walk her, which is good because she gives them a reason to get moving,” Will says. “One of the kids last year with mobility problems had a hard time getting down on the floor, but whenever Zoë was around, this girl went right up to her and plopped herself down next to her.”

“Zoë’s greatest impact is that of unconditional love,” West adds. “Approaching Zoë while having a good day or a not-so-good day results in the same outcome: friendly acknowledgement and a moment of peace.

“Many of our students benefit from Zoë’s participation at Free State,” he says. “It is awfully hard to spend time with a tail-wagging dog and remain in a negative mood, isn’t it?”