Meet Baillee: Zoom Classroom Mascot

The fourth-grade students at Emerson Elementary School quickly fell in love with teacher Beth Calsyn’s pup Baillee, who was tasked with helping her during the six-week PAWS Kids Who CareSM curriculum. They couldn’t wait to tune in on Zoom to see the cute puppy growing right before their eyes. As the unofficial Kids Who Care mascot, Baillee was a bright spot for Beth and her students during the pandemic.

Weeks prior, Beth had casually mentioned to PAWS Education Coordinator Kate Campbell that she and her husband were ready to adopt. Says Beth, “Since I’ve worked with PAWS in the past, I trusted them. I know how well they take care of the animals.”

Kate told Beth about a litter of PAWS puppies, and it wasn’t long before Beth and her husband adopted Baillee. Born in a local foster home after her pregnant mother came to PAWS from an overcrowded shelter in Texas, Baillee was ready to find a home of her own. While Beth has included PAWS’ Kids Who Care programming in her classroom since 2016, it wasn’t until she came to meet Baillee that she first stepped foot onto the PAWS campus in Lynnwood.

The Kids Who Care curriculum is dedicated to teaching youth to demonstrate compassion to all beings and protect animal habitats.

Typically taught by PAWS educators, the curriculum was repackaged for teachers to present to their students on Zoom. Beth found that visiting PAWS and adopting Baillee gave her valuable knowledge and a personal connection to share with her students at a time when lessons were virtual and otherwise felt distant.

Baillee is now thriving in her new home. Beth says Baillee loves romping around in her backyard so much that it can be hard to get her to come back inside. After a long day of playing, Baillee can be found asleep, surrounded by her many toys.