SV school board clarifies therapy dog policy
JACKSON TWP — During the past month, the Seneca Valley School Board has revised and clarified its policies regarding therapy dogs.
At the school board action meeting Sept. 18, the board formally approved revisions to its therapy dog policy. The new policy requires all therapy dogs coming into Seneca Valley schools be insured, immunized, certified and licensed. The policy also requires therapy dog handlers be certified.
At the monthly meeting Monday night, the board approved a memorandum of understanding with the N.J.-based organization Therapy Dogs International, a volunteer group that provides credentialed therapy dogs and handlers.
Jeff Roberts, director of student services, said the revised policy is meant to ensure a more formal relationship between therapy dogs and the students who need them.
“We want to make sure that the therapy dog is valuable and supports the educational environment,” Roberts said. “We don't necessarily want a dog visiting just for the delight of the children. We want it to be a functional thing that helps children develop their skills.”
“There’s lots of dogs that are friendly, but that doesn't mean they're trained to provide the support kids need,” Roberts said. “So we want to make sure the dogs that are working in the school buildings with their handler are well-trained.”
Prior to the policy revisions, Seneca Valley provided therapy dog visits for students on an individual, case-by-case basis. From now on, Roberts foresees a therapy dog potentially coming in once a week to assist a group of children.
“Before, we had individual visits by therapy dogs supporting children in a variety of settings,” Roberts said. “But this is more of a long-standing relationship.”
It was a volunteer dog handler from Cranberry who introduced the school district to the Therapy Dogs International organization. According to Roberts, a memorandum of understanding between the two parties was necessary so TDI can provide insurance coverage for dog visits.
“We wanted to have a relationship with them because they certify that dogs are trained and are appropriate and safe to be among schoolchildren,” Roberts said.
