At DSST, our mission is to deliver all students a world class education, and our exceptional learners are no exception. Katie Lents, a key member of the Special Services team at the Home Office, works with schools across the network to ensure that their center programs have the training and resources needed to best serve their students.  This week, she shares with us her sweet and mischievous 2 year old puppy Hazel, who was a Christmas gift for her son, Caleb. 

From bottom: Katie, Hazel, Katie’s wife Lori, and their son Caleb

Hazel is full of energy and has quite a voracious appetite. Nicknamed the “Garbage Pail Dog”, she’ll eat anything and everything, but her favorite human foods are salmon and peanut butter. She is a bold and brazen lady who counter surfs for extra morsels even when she knows she’s being watched!  

Katie got Hazel from a foster family in Fort Collins, and while she wasn’t discovered under the tree on Christmas morning, she certainly does look festive with all of the presents, doesn’t she? 

“What’s for breakfast though??”

Hazel loves to snuggle with her brother Caleb (and anyone, really), and her incredible zest for the sport has earned her the title of an aggressive snuggler.

“Get closer, Caleb!”

Like most Colorado dogs, Hazel loves to be outside, especially at the dog park, where she can run free and play with new friends. She is still learning how to be nice on a leash though, so her neighborhood acquaintances find her a little bit rude.

Run fast, run free, Hazel!

Hazel has been known to get into some trouble, and her rowdy vibes and large size are sometimes a little too big for the house. In her first week at her new home, she was feasting on some dishes in the dishwasher (a bad habit that many of us do not approve of, including Katie). The banquet was short-lived- her collar got stuck on one of the dish rack wires, and as she tried to pull away, she realized she was stuck and ran so fast that she yanked the dish rack and dishes right out of the dishwasher with a BANG! So alarming was this experience for Hazel that she has never licked the dishes in the washer again!

Not pictured: a scared Hazel hiding out from the aftermath

Mischievous and clumsy as she may be, Caleb absolutely adores Hazel, and shows exemplary Responsibility as he regularly feeds her, takes her for walks, and pretends to take a bathroom break alongside her while they’re out together. 

Besties for life!

Do you have a pet that everyone needs to know about? Email us at mac@scienceandtech.org