Therapy dogs may provide reading support, accompany students during counseling sessions and help schools respond to crises under a new agreement approved by the Paradise Valley Unified School District governing board.
The board unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding Sept. 3 with Paws for Youth, formerly known as Gabriel’s Angels.
The nonprofit has provided canine therapy services to a small number of PVSchools campuses for about two years.
The agreement creates standardized requirements for therapy dog organizations operating in district schools, replacing agreements previously developed independently by individual providers.
Chris Asmussen, assistant superintendent of secondary leadership, said PVSchools worked with Valley Schools Insurance Group to develop the framework.
The agreement requires background checks and fingerprint clearance for handlers, training and certification for handlers and dogs, liability insurance, current animal vaccinations and compliance with district safety requirements.
“Taken together, the standardized MOU, parent permission requirements, designated interaction areas, handler vetting and fingerprinting, therapy dog training and certification, insurance requirements, animal health standards and other provisions provide a comprehensive framework for safe and appropriate use of canine therapy services in PVSchools,” Asmussen said.
Paws for Youth must maintain at least $1 million in commercial general liability insurance. Participating therapy teams must hold current registration through Pet Partners or the Alliance of Therapy Dogs.
Every handler must have an Arizona Department of Public Safety Level One fingerprint clearance card. Therapy dogs must remain leashed, and teams cannot be left alone with students. A certified school employee must remain in the room with a clear view of the interaction.
Parents or guardians must provide permission before a student may interact with a therapy dog. Families will receive information about the timing and purpose of a visit, along with notice of potential risks such as allergic reactions or physical injuries, according to the agreement.
Schools must also designate controlled areas for the visits to reduce unintended exposure among students and employees who have allergies, sensitivities or a fear of dogs, according to the agreement.
Board member Sandra Christensen, who previously worked in the veterinary industry, praised the district for considering both the benefits and potential risks.
“When parents send their kids to school, they want them to learn, but they also want them to be safe,” Christensen said. “It sounds like we have already tackled a lot of that.”
Therapy dogs have been used at Shadow Mountain High School during lunch to encourage students to gather, interact and build social connections. Dogs have also visited before fall and spring final exams.
Depending on a school’s needs, the teams may visit classrooms, special education programs or other settings where their presence could support students’ social skills, self-regulation and emotional well-being. They could also be brought to a campus following a crisis or traumatic event.
Board member Amanda Lim said she had seen how therapy dogs affected children and adults while spending time at Phoenix Children’s with her youngest child.
“I know the value of when those pets come into the space and the mood and the change that can happen with a child being around a pet,” Lim said. “I think a program like this is invaluable.”
Lim asked how the district would inform schools that have not previously used therapy dogs about the opportunity.
Asmussen said he and Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Leadership Heidi Lindsay could discuss the program during principal meetings. Those meetings would allow administrators from participating campuses to share procedures and successful practices with other schools.
The partnership carries no additional cost to the district. Each party will be responsible for its own materials, supplies and operating expenses.
Editor’s note: A grant from the Arizona Local News Foundation made this story possible. The foundation awarded 15 newsrooms to pay for solutions-focused education reporters for two years. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.
Meet Stacy Stacy Mantle is joining the team at Independent Newsmedia, Inc. as an Education Solutions journalist, thanks to a grant from the Arizona Community Collaborative. She has a long history in education that ranges from teaching junior high and middle school to developing curriculum and standards-based assessments.
Community: A longtime advocate for animal welfare, Stacy is deeply involved in rescue efforts and volunteers with several nonprofit organizations.
Random Fact: Once upon a time, she shared her home with a pet coyote and two wolf hybrids. The experiences were wild enough to become the subject of her first book!
Education: She holds a BA in English with a minor in Political Science, a Post-baccalaureate in Secondary Education, and an MBA with a emphasis on Marketing.
Hobbies: In her spare time, Stacy writes fast-paced urban fantasy novels, crafts small-batch artisan soap, and is always up for hiking or off-roading through the Arizona wilderness with her husband of 23 years.
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