Back-to-school season can be stressful for kids of all ages. One Pittsburgh-area middle school says they have a solution with the help of some furry friends.

Roxy, Ben, Kyla and Ranger are all therapy dogs within the Gateway School District. Each dog is trained and certified in the hopes of making a difference for the kids. It all started last school year with Kyla and middle school counselor Rick Taylor.

"It's an instant smile on these kids' faces, whether there's kids who come in just to see her, kids who come in that are crying, kids that are coming in upset," says Taylor. "She initially and quickly just calms kids down."

"It was pretty rough for me, before Kyla was here," says sixth grade student Johanna Larson.

Larson saw Kyla almost every day during the previous school year. Larson says she had a hard time controlling her feelings until Kyla came along.

"She makes me feel happy, and she makes me feel like I'm safe and like I can control myself around her because I don't want to hurt her," Larson said. 

Gateway School District says success stories like Larson inspired the program's expansion. They added three new dogs this school year. Teacher Grant Sample has one of the dogs walking around his classroom. Ranger the therapy dog patrols Ramsey Elementary. Assistant Superintendent Dennis Chakey has his golden retriever involved. 

"Just now a student came up and he mentioned, 'Now I'm going to be late for lunch, but I don't even care,'" says Chakey. "'I gotta see, I have to see this dog.'"

Chakey says the dogs improve the school learning environment through adding a level of comfort, support and joy. 

"It's funny when you go into the school. Sometimes students are a little bit standoffish. They're doing their own thing, but this adds to the connectedness of them to the school," he said. 

Chakey says many school districts are lucky to have just one therapy dog. Chakey says the district is lucky that the school board adopted a therapy dog policy in schools. He could see the program growing larger, and at Taylor's suggestion, potentially having students as handlers.

"It makes me excited to bring her to school," says Sample. "It's really rewarding to her, so it brings me joy, because she has a little bit more of a purpose than sleeping all day while we are at work."

That purpose reveals itself in a quiet corner of the school, where Johanna Larson finds a friend.

"She likes to love me, and give me kisses, and runs up to me whenever I don't see her for a while," says Larson.