The use of service dogs is a long-established practice in our society. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provides protections that allow people with disabilities to enjoy full inclusion in society, including educational settings. The use of service dogs to help fulfill that obligation gives students and teachers with disabilities more independence and mobility to assimilate into mainstream education. As long as service dogs and their handlers are trained, certified and insured they are allowed into public schools.

More recently, dogs are being used in schools and libraries as part of reading or special education programs, counseling services and occupational therapy. These education assistance dogs offer motivation for learning, an enthusiastic ear for readers and a warm snuggle for students who just need some extra emotional support during the school day.

Loudoun County Public Schools collaborates with paws4people (paws4people.org), a nonprofit organization founded in 1999 by then 12-year-old Round Hill, Virginia resident Kyria Henry. She has since made this foundation her life’s work. paws4people trains, certifies and insures both service dogs and education assistance dogs and their handlers to work in schools and with seniors, combat veterans and the seriously ill or disabled. All of paws4people dogs are trained by inmates at federal penitentiaries in West Virginia and Georgia. The training done by paws4people ensures that dogs and handlers are appropriately qualified to work with the public. They recertify their dogs every year to make sure that the dogs are healthy, happy and remain well-trained. They stay partners with their dogs from birth through their retirement years.

All services provided by paws4people are completely free of charge. paws4people is funded entirely through grants and donations. Students at Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn, Virginia are so supportive they formed a paws4people club which is dedicated to raising funds and providing information about the work of paws4people. Kyria’s vision to use education assistance dogs is breaking new ground in local public schools and libraries. “What we’re doing in the schools isn’t just your basic pet therapy. On ‘dog days’ attendance increases and homework gets finished because the kids are motivated and excited to work with the dogs. Students use them while they are learning – not as break time.” With the help of the paws4people certified handler, the use of education assistance dogs is only limited by how creative and flexible a teacher is at working the dog into the lesson plans.

Service and education assistance dogs are beneficial to children in tangible and intangible ways. They can predict and help manage an epileptic seizure. They can build the confidence of a hesitant reader. They can soothe and comfort a child going through a rough time, or simply make an ordinary school day better.

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TRICIA HANEGHAN graduated from Knox College with a B.A. in Education. After a brief stint teaching, she spent several years on the legislative staff of Illinois Senator Paul Simon. She has been a PTA officer for 3 different Loudoun County schools over the past 8 years. She lives in South Riding, VA with her husband and four daughters. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it