Evergreen High School crowns therapy dogs as homecoming king and queen

Evergreen High School’s homecoming royalty had a little extra fur this year.

Polenta and Norene, the school’s two golden Labrador facility dogs, were crowned the first-ever canine homecoming king and queen at the Colorado high school, because apparently regular teenage popularity contests were not enough and honestly, this version sounds better.

The two dogs serve full time at Evergreen High School, where they help provide comfort, reduce stress and support students and staff throughout the school day. Their job is basically to be calm, loving and emotionally intelligent — so, yes, they are already more qualified for public office than many humans.

This year, the school created a special “puppy homecoming court” just for them. Polenta and Norene ran uncontested, which feels fair. Nobody was beating two golden Labradors in a popularity contest. Not with those faces. Not in this economy.

The dogs received their crowns during a homecoming football game, marking the school’s first time naming canine royalty as part of the celebration. The moment gave students, staff and the community a chance to cheer for two very good dogs who spend their days doing very good work.

Facility dogs like Polenta and Norene are often used in schools to offer emotional support, help calm anxious students and create a more welcoming environment. At Evergreen High School, the dogs have become part of the campus community, showing up for students not with speeches or pep talks, but with wagging tails and the kind of quiet comfort that tends to work better anyway.

And while homecoming courts usually come with campaigns, posters and plenty of teenage drama, Evergreen’s canine court kept things simple: two dogs, two crowns, zero controversy.

A rare win for democracy.