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S H O U T O U T S G old e n Wave s We lc o me Wave ly
Tupelo High School has gained a new faculty member, and she has four paws and a furry coat. Her name is Wavely, and she’s the school’s therapy dog-in-training. Special education teacher Anne Marie Goad initiated the proposal for a therapy dog in 2019. When the Coronavirus pandemic hit, those plans were put on pause. However, Goad continued looking for promising pups that came her way. She saw a Facebook post
COVID to find ways to meet the needs of students’ social and emotional health,” Goad said. “Now, after COVID and all of the changes and uncertainty everyone is going through, it is even more important to find different ways to bring comfort. Wavely will be that extra source of support by bringing joy and unconditional love for all students and staff.” Follow Wavely’s progress on Instagram @tupelogolden_wavely.
ANNE MARIE GOAD
for a Goldendoodle puppy after someone else changed their mind about adopting her. “Wavely is full of personality,” Goad said. “I’m even more certain that this dog was meant to be. She is very curious and very trainable. She loves to ‘work’ on her skills. She also loves people, especially young people. She gets so excited to see people and doesn’t get timid. She is full of energy but also loves to lay beside you for belly rubs.” Wavely is currently in training. She passed her first certification, the American Kennel Club Star Puppy Test, and is on her way to becoming fully certified and ready for work sometime this year. As a therapy dog, Wavely’s primary job will be to contribute to a positive climate at the school, whether bringing smiles to the faces she passes in the hall or serving as emotional support for students during counseling sessions. “There was significant need before
MELISSA GROSE
C o n g rat s , C a n no n C a n i ne C o m p e t it io n W i n ne r s!
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INVITATION | FEBRUARY 202 1
Invitation Magazines wasn’t the only local business to hold a pet contest recently. Cannon Motors of Mississippi held its third such contest — the 2020 Cannon Canine Competition — last year. This time, Cannon changed its format to a photo competition. The first two years, the contest was a writing competition, where dog owners submitted essays about their furry friends. Hosting the competition were Michael Joe and Cheryl Cannon. For the 2020 contest, Oxford residents were invited to submit photographs in three categories: Best Looking Canine in Oxford; Owner/Canine Closest Look-alike; and Most Unique Photo. Not surprisingly, there were many submissions to the photo contest. “The judges had a very difficult task of making selections for the three categories
and then naming the Best Overall Winner,” said Cheryl Cannon. Ultimately, Khloe (pictured at left), a Doberman pinscher belonging to Melissa Grose, was named top dog. Benny, a springer spaniel belonging to Sydney Fields was the winner of Most Unique Photo; BooBoo, a sheltie owned by Michelle Pickens, was named the Best Looking Canine in Oxford; and Dixie, a goldendoodle belonging to Mary Fox Henry, was winner of the Owner/ Canine Closest Look-alike award. As overall winner, Khloe won the opportunity to be featured in a Cannon advertisement and to have her portrait painted by artist Rosie Vassallo. Sadly, Khloe has died since being announced the winner. Other winners received gifts from sponsors Crossroads Animal Hospital, DeltaDog, Hollywood Feed and PetSmart.
