Popcorn: A Legacy of Love at Wetumpka Elementary

Partners in every way.

Brandi and Popcorn shared a bond that made classrooms a safe, welcoming place for every child.

Popcorn wasn’t just Alabama’s first facility dog—she was the heartbeat of Wetumpka Elementary School. For years, she walked the halls with her handler, Brandi Reiske, changing the lives of children, teachers, and families in unforgettable ways.

Popcorn had a gift that no one could explain. When a kindergartener enrolled during a difficult season in his life, Popcorn seemed to know immediately that he needed her. From the very first day he arrived and every day for three weeks, she quietly slipped out of carpool line, sat at the end of the hall, and waited for him. Then she walked him to class—step by step, day after day—until he no longer needed her. Only later did the school learn that his family was escaping an abusive situation, but Popcorn had already understood.

Chosen by Popcorn

She never had to be called — Popcorn always found the child who needed her comfort the most.

In the classroom, Popcorn’s presence was steady and wise. Children were not allowed to call her to them when she was off leash. Instead, Popcorn made her rounds, choosing where to settle. This was her superpower—finding the student who needed her the most, whether it was a child having a hard day, a non-verbal student who simply wanted to lay a blanket over her, or a child whose confidence bloomed because Popcorn was by her side.

Her impact went beyond the school walls, too. Once, when Brandi was at the dentist, a Wetumpka student was there as well, frightened about having a tooth pulled. The dentist asked if Popcorn could come back to help. She gently nudged the boy’s clenched fists until he opened them, relaxing just enough to stroke her ears. His breathing slowed, his fear eased, and in that moment of calm, the dentist was able to do the procedure.

Popcorn wasn’t perfect, though—she was a dog, after all. Once she ate most of a student’s 100th Day of School project, made with Cheerios (who can resist those crunchy little O’s). Years later, at her retirement, that same student’s mother brought the project back as a funny, fond reminder of the dog who touched an entire school.

Always part of the fun.

From Ninja Turtle to pillow, Popcorn joined in every play and school activity with joy.

She joined in plays, dressed up as a Ninja Turtle, and even became a pillow for children who needed comfort. She knew Brandi’s schedule so well that if they lingered too long in a classroom, Popcorn would be waiting at the door, reminding her it was time to move on. She was never one to give kisses freely, but when she did, it was a treasured moment—children would light up knowing they had been chosen for one of her special licks.

“She wasn’t just a dog,” Brandi shared. “She was patient. She was loving. She was amazing.”

Popcorn’s first class of students are now seniors in high school. Though she retired last year and passed away just a few months ago, her pawprints remain in the halls and in the hearts of everyone she touched.

As National Service Dog Month comes to a close, we celebrate Popcorn’s life and the countless ways facility and service dogs continue her legacy of changing lives. To those considering raising a puppy or applying for a dog, take Brandi’s advice: “Go for it. It will change your life. You’ll see your job differently, you’ll see kids differently.”

Thank you, Popcorn, for showing us what’s possible when a dog’s heart is shared with a school.

A last goodbye.

Years after she comforted him at the dentist, this student said farewell with gratitude: “Goodbye sweet girl, I’ll miss you.”