Some therapy dogs banned from Fayette schools under new policy. Petition asks for reprieve.

A new policy in Fayette County schools that largely prohibits animals on campuses has led to a petition at Morton Middle School to keep Ellie, a therapy dog.

The new policy, approved by the school board in June, says that if there is an educational purpose, a principal can allow an animal inside a building. Otherwise, no animals are allowed inside school buildings unless required under the American Disabilities Act or approved by the District Crisis Response Team.

Morton counselor Heather Bullock Ferguson said she was notified Friday that therapy dogs are no longer permitted in Fayette schools.

That led to a petition on change.org that said, “the presence of a therapy dog like Ellie has proven to be instrumental in reducing stress levels, improving student-staff relationships, and enhancing overall academic performance.

“By excluding Ellie from our school, we fear that the emotional well-being of our students will be compromised,” the petition continued.

Ferguson said she was told all dogs on campus must be ADA certified, however they are only allowed in schools if they are brought in by a student for their own specific disability. Staff with trained dogs are not permitted to bring them to the buildings unless they have been asked to help with a crisis in a specific building on a specific day, she said.

Ellie was at Morton almost every school day for the last two years, said Ferguson. She visited and brought comfort to children either in the classroom, in counseling offices or outside. She also worked at other schools as part of the crisis management teams and was available to special needs children.

A Frankfort-based group called Pawsibilities Unleashed that trains therapy dogs raised concerns about the new policy in a Facebook post.

“We have worked over 15 years to make therapy dogs in schools and medical facilities, etc., the, ‘norm’ and thought we were making progress. Now we are going back in time,” the post said.

A therapy dog is trained to go to any facility that invites them to work with kids or adults. They must be certified and insured, Liz Norris, founder of Pawsibilities Unleashed, told the Herald-Leader.

School district spokeswoman Dia Davidson-Smith said the district re-examined the policy because of the proliferation of therapy animal licenses via the internet and safety concerns.

“... we’ve ended up with students and staff being bitten or unsafe because animals that aren’t appropriately trained have been placed in school environments. So the policy changes are designed to streamline the process and ensure Ellie and other animals are appropriately trained for their role to ensure everyone is safe,” she said.

The definition of “therapy dog” has expanded over the past few years and district policies and regulations haven’t kept up with these changes, Davidson said.

The ADA recognizes service animals and psychiatric support animals and both animals certified and trained as such will continue to be allowed in Fayette County schools, she said.

The district is also developing procedures through the crisis response teams to provide exemptions for support/therapy animals who may not fall within these precise definitions but still meet core training requirements, Davidson-Smith said

“This will ensure our students, staff and families are safe while also providing those who need trained support animals while at school or work the opportunity to have them,”she said.

This story was originally published August 1, 2023 at 11:07 AM.