JULY 21 • 2022 | 13

with people and loves kids, which was really 
quite a surprise,
” Ellias said.
Whenever Ichabod is around kids, Ellias 
says he wants to meet them and interact with 
them.
“He is patient and engaging, moving from 
one child to the next rather methodically 
after they pet him,
” she said. “He has a sense 
of when kids are nervous, and he stays back, 
yet seems to know when to engage with 
those wanting to touch him.
”
Ellias knew Ichabod would be the perfect 
candidate to be a therapy dog. “I got him 
certified by the Alliance of Therapy Dogs 
(ATD), and he didn’t have any issues going 
through that process.
” 
By November it was official, Ichabod was 
certified. Quickly after the certification, ATD 
started to send Ellias opportunities of where 
she could take Ichabod. She fell in love with 
visiting the Friendship Circle for story time. 
“One of the foundations of Friendship 
Circle’s mission is to provide acceptance 
and acknowledgement of each individual’s 
inherent value regardless of our exterior dif-
ferences,
” said Bassie Shemtov, director and 
co-founder of Friendship Circle. “Gayle and 
Ichabod provide the perfect opportunity to 
continue this conversation with the students 
that come to visit the Weinberg Village.
” 
Then Ellias heard that Oxford Schools was 
looking for therapy dogs following the tragic 
shooting that left four students dead and 
seven others, including a teacher, injured on 
Nov. 30, 2021.
During the visit, Ellias said people would 
ask about his disability, where he came 
from and the bad things that happened to 
him in life.
“Ichabod teaches me and others how to 
integrate what we’ve been through into who 
we are and how to carry it with us, but that it 
doesn’t have to define us,
” Ellias explained.
Inspired by Ichabod’s story Ellias decided 
to publish a children’s book about his journey 
titled Ichabod — Where is the Glory? All pro-
ceeds benefit NDLB.
Since publishing the book in April, Ellias 
and Ichabod have traveled throughout 
Michigan reading his story at places like the 
Friendship Circle and at local schools. 
“Students gather at the Friendship Circle 
for a read-along with Gayle and Ichabod,
” 
Shemtov said. “They hear Ichabod’s story of 
perseverance while getting to be in his pres-
ence. It’s a powerful time of reinforcing the 

values we stand by: that everyone is so valued 
and can make the world a better place.
”
During their visits, Ellias reads Ichabod’s 
story and then talks to the class about animal 
safety. They get a chance to learn how to 
approach animals and meet Ichabod.
“I wanted to combine my career with my 
love for animals. Ichabod’s story encapsu-
lates rescue, disability, animal welfare laws 
and being empathetic to animals,” Ellias 
said.
“I wrote this book as a tool for parents, 
teachers and therapists. It’s a great way to 
teach empathy to kids.”
Recently, they visited Anderson 
Elementary School in Trenton and after the 
visit the students wrote notes to Ellias and 
Ichabod.
“One child in the classroom wrote that 
Ichabod shows us all that there’s always 
hope. That really touched me. It made me 
think, okay, he did his job.”

Ichabod is now a working dog and has 
plans to have regular visits in the fall with 
Beaumont Elementary School in Waterford.
Ellias says this is just the beginning and 
hopes she and Ichabod can visit more places 
and show everyone that a traumatic expe-
rience or a disability doesn’t have to define 
who you are. 

Ichabod’s story is available on Amazon, www.amazon.

com/Ichabod-Where-Glory-Gayle-Ellias/dp/B09YR6RD8Q. 

You can also continue to follow Ichabod’s journey on his 

Instagram page @Ichabodndlb

Ichabod at Home Depot stops to 
smell the flowers. 

Mrs. Kellie Teska’s fifth-grade class at Anderson 
Elementary with Ichabod and Gayle Ellias. 

Ichabod enjoys his new life!