Ginger Natoli got a wrenching email over the summer: Three puppies were found in a cage, wedged between two city garbage bins.
“They were literally put out with the trash,” said Natoli, a co-founder of Tails of Hope Dog Rescue in Memphis.
The three dogs – American pit bull terriers that were about 6 weeks old at the time – were abandoned in the blistering summer heat, probably for days before they were discovered. They had mange, were malnourished, and had eye infections and open sores. One of the pups’ paw pads was burned off by the hot metal cage.
Natoli helped bring the puppies – which she believes are siblings – back to health. Since it was around the time of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Natoli named the dogs after Olympic athletes: Simone (for Simone Biles), Phelps (for Michael Phelps) and Kobe (for Kobe Bryant).
While all three dogs were good-natured, Natoli said, Simone had a confidence and sweetness that stood out.
“Simone had a very calming effect,” she said.
So, when Sally Parish – superintendent for University Schools at the University of Memphis – reached out to Natoli looking for a therapy dog to work at the middle school, Natoli decided Simone was the one.
“Simone just wanted you to hug her forever. She was that kind of a puppy,” Natoli said.
Parish first encountered Tails of Hope six years ago, when she adopted a dog for her family and thought of the group when her middle school got a grant from the Tennessee Department of Education called Beyond Ordinary Learning Opportunities. University Middle School is an extension of the University of Memphis, along with an elementary school and high school.
“We had such an incredible experience with Tails of Hope that we have stayed connected to their work,” Parish said.
Parish adopted Simone in September, and the pup started training to become a certified therapy dog. Parish quickly understood why Natoli picked Simone – who has been working at the school since mid-October – for the job.
“She was born for this,” Parish said, adding that Simone’s tail is always wagging throughout the school day. “It is just remarkable how she has risen to this occasion and how proud she is. … She is incredibly present and engaged, and definitely has an understanding that these are her people and her place.”
While Simone spends her days at the school, she goes home with Parish at night, as Parish is her owner.
The 270 middle school students at the school are equally as happy to see Simone each day as she is to see them, Parish said.
“We have students who are more eager to come to school; we have students who are performing better academically,” Parish said. “We have seen the direct impact of her presence on student academic achievement.”
Although pit bulls have a reputation of being dangerous, Natoli said Simone has not shown any signs of aggression.
“She’s such a representation of what the breed can be when raised correctly, with love,” Natoli said.
Simone starts her morning by greeting students in the front lobby. It sets the tone for the day.
“As they’re coming in, the first thing they see is Simone,” Parish said, noting that Simone has her meals before and after school, and certain staff and students are trained to walk her during the day. “You can see people lighten. Their shoulders lower, their eyes widen, they smile.”
Then Simone will rotate between classrooms based on the needs that day.
“The principal typically has a list of requests from teachers and will deploy Simone,” Parish said.
When Parish is busy, several staff members at the school take over as Simone’s handler during her daily duties.
“There’s always a handler there that’s making sure she gets to and from where she’s supposed to be,” Parish said. “It’s a collaborative effort.”
Simone attends all physical education classes, which gives her time to run and play with students. She has also supported students struggling with their mental health.
“Middle school is hard; it’s the hardest time in a student’s educational career because there’s just so much transition,” Parish said. “Every kid feels comfortable getting down on the floor and petting her and cuddling her and walking her. What they’re really doing is self-soothing.”
“Kids that don’t know each other will get to know each other via Simone; she’ll connect students who are strangers and break down those barriers,” Parish added. “I wish every school had a Simone.”
While Simone has been a salve to students – and staffers, who also appreciate her calming presence – she additionally serves as an animal advocate at a time when shelters in Memphis and around the country are so overcrowded that many cannot hold more pets.
“The issue is, when shelters are turning people away, that doesn’t mean the person is going to keep their pet. They’re just going to dump it,” Natoli said.
“We’re building future dog rescuers,” Parish said. “Beyond the therapeutic component, I think about how we now have 300 advocates for animals. That’s the kind of thing you can’t teach; you have to experience that.”
Simone and her siblings are all success stories. Phelps was adopted by a family whose children go to University Middle School, and Kobe ended up with a woman who works remotely and was eager for companionship.
“They survived, and everybody ended up in wonderful homes,” Natoli said. “I am thrilled for them.”