We are fortunate enough in
the Middle School, to have a service dog.
That’s right! A dog in our
school, that is keeping one of our wonderful kids, safe and healthy! I will be honest, I know what a service
animal is and what they are used for. I know basic, very basic rules of
etiquette for a service dog. I have
learned a lot now that we have a dog in our school community, and I am loving
every minute of it! I thought I would
pass along some of the info and resources, so you can learn about it too.
Service animals are highly
trained working animals, that are skilled in assisting people with all types of
disabilities. Individuals with hearing
and vision impairments, Diabetes, stability issues, seizure disorders, the list
goes on. It is truly amazing how they
can pick up on the slightest thing.
I am
going to bring you back to when I was a Hospice Nurse. I worked for the VNA, and had the pleasure of
being with patients and their families throughout the dying process.
I will never forget a certain husband and
wife. The husband was terminally ill,
and planned to stay at home till the end.
The couple had 3 very loud, yippy dogs that took a while to get used
to. They were very protective of their
owner, and as time went by, they allowed me into their world, and let me care
for their owner. As the months passed,
and their owner declined, the dogs became quieter, calmer and stayed close by. They growled at times, even when the wife tried to
help her husband. I will never forget,
the wife asked ‘how will I know that death is close?’, and my response was
“your dogs will let you know”. Later
that night, the dogs would not leave her husband’s bed, close to his side, and
did not move until their owner passed away.
The on call nurse was called, and the wife told her that she knew right
away when the dogs changed their behavior.
SO...on a lighter note...What does this look like for
our school? A service dog in the school
setting means, the dog will be part of our community. Seen in classes, sporting events, activity nights, the
cafeteria and on the bus. Leashed and in
control, but still an animal in the school.
While Service dogs are
working, no matter where they are, there is a strict “no touch policy.” If the dog is distracted, it takes their
attention away from their person, therefore lessening their effectiveness. The owner and dog have a routine and a
bond. For middle school students, and
staff, we need to be respectful of the dog and the dog’s purpose while in the
school.
Service dogs get breaks, and
get to play. But keep in mind, they are
trained to live their life to serve their owner (which I believe most dogs are
like this instinctively), but this is more strict.
If you are concerned about allergies, we are told that there is animal dander almost everywhere we go. The potential exposure is minimal since the dog is with the student, around the clock, and there is no petting of the dog while in school. KRMS has a limited amount of carpeted areas throughout the school where pet dander could settle.
Here is a link to a CNN video segment, featuring Elle Shaheen, who resides in Portsmouth NH
with her Diabetic Medic Alert dog, Coach.
Also, please refer to the KRSD
Service Animal Policy for the District on the district web page.
This has been such a fun topic to learn about, talk about, and now see, in our school!
