Rachel was never just the Davidson Center dog. She was a squirrel chaser, a lover of treats, a patient listener, a comfort, and a friend, and for this past year, she was part of what made this place feel like home.

Rachel and her daughter, Andi Rose, made up our very first therapy dog team. From the beginning, Rachel had a gift for showing up exactly when she was needed. She’d wag her way through the door at just the right moment and turn someone’s whole afternoon around. She’d make space in her bed for a student working through a tricky page, because being read to was, without question, her favorite thing in the world. She greeted families who walked through our doors, and she never once turned down a treat, a cuddle, or a scratch behind the ears, though given the choice, she’d happily take all three at once.

Rachel passed away peacefully in August 2026, after bravely facing an illness for three months. She was surrounded by love, just as she had surrounded so many of our students and families with hers.

The children who spent time with Rachel gave her a wonderful life. Week after week, they showed up with real love for her, and she felt every bit of it. In return, she gave them something just as real: a soft place to land on a hard day, an unhurried listener with no judgment at all, and proof that someone was always glad to see them.

Rachel was part of our family, and because of everyone who loved her here, she became part of something even bigger than any of us. We’ll miss her steady presence in the hallways, her patience with every reader who needed her, and the particular kind of joy she brought just by being herself.

Rest easy, sweet girl. Thank you for every wag, every welcome, and every quiet moment of comfort you gave so freely.

With gratitude and warm hearts,
Davidson Center