Celebrating Rhubarb’s success at the House of Lords
Zoe Brown, Rhubarb’s owner and trainer, joined three students, Sunshine, Kitty and Rebecca and our CEO and Principal Julie Kapsalis MBE, to represent our college assistance dog Rhubarb at the School Dog of the Year 2026 awards ceremony held at the UK House of Lords.
The awards, run by the National School Dog Alliance, celebrate the positive impact trained dogs can have in education. While this year’s overall award winner was Sunshine, we’re incredibly proud of Rhubarb’s recognition as a finalist and the positive impact dogs like him make to student wellbeing and college life.
Nescot CEO and Principal, Julie Kapsalis MBE, with Rhubarb’s owner and trainer Zoe Brown, and three Nescot students at the House of Lords for the 2026 School Dog of the Year awards.
Rhubarb’s role at Nescot
For the last four years, Rhubarb’s quiet and calm temperament, combined with his high degree of training, has allowed students to soak up some of his zen. He’s been particularly impactful in times of exam stress, bereavement, social anxiety, as well as helping pupils overcome their fear of dogs.
He also brings learning to life, helping pupils with revision using his giant dice, choice cards and even applying his scent training to sniff out the right answers.
The team behind Rhubarb
Rhubarb’s development is supported by Nic Martin, a highly experienced dog trainer, with whom Zoe undertakes termly reviews and training to ensure Rhubarb’s needs are being met as well as the students.
A massive thank you to Zoe for her dedication, expertise and care. As Rhubarb’s owner, trainer and handler, she has played a crucial role in developing his skills and ensuring he can make such a meaningful impact across the college.
As a result of his success at the awards, Zoe was invited to speak on BBC Radio Surrey, where she shared Rhubarb’s story and spoke about the growing role of assistance dogs in supporting student mental health and confidence in education.
Read the full BBC article here
