We are excited to announce the return of Louie, our therapy dog for the spring semester. Louie will be with us this spring as Mrs. Seekins has agreed to fill an elementary teaching position in an interim role. This message is meant to share some information about the benefits of having a therapy dog in school as well as answer some potential questions and explore some concerns you may have. You may find more information at Hudson Therapy Dog Program and Board Policy listed on our school website.

The benefits of having a therapy dog program in schools are numerous, including:

• Increased self-esteem and positive interactions between staff and students.
• Decreased blood pressure and increased physical stimulation.
• Increased memory and problem solving skills.
• Increase in positive mood; places students at ease and increases openness/socialization with others.
• Studies have shown an Increase in student reading skills when they are given opportunities to read to an accepting, non-judgmental audience i.e.. a therapy dog.

There are a few things we would like you to know about Louie to alleviate any concerns that you might have:

• Our therapy dogs will be groomed appropriately to decrease sensitivities for students with allergies.
• Therapy dogs will only interact with students who want to work with them. This is to be mindful of students that may not like dogs or have a fear of them. Research has shown that work with therapy dogs often decreases one’s fear of animals. Students and staff must also learn about and sign agreements in order to participate.
• Therapy dogs will be on a leash or within reach of a handler when on school grounds; they will not be free to roam.
• Therapy dogs will be purchased and owned by a staff member and live with them on a full-time basis. They will be up to date on vaccination records and routinely seen by veterinarians.
• Therapy dogs will have access to food, water and be given multiple opportunities to be brought outside for bathroom breaks during the day. Only adult handlers will be responsible for picking up dog waste. In addition, therapy dogs will have a designated area in Mrs. Seekins classroom when working to take breaks.

We are extremely excited to welcome our first therapy dog, Louie to the Hudson School Therapy Dog team and believe that his influence will be a positive one for staff and students Louie is a 4 year golden retriever and is owned by the 2/3 special education teacher, Mrs. Seekins. He has passed the Canine Good Citizen test and the Alliance of Therapy Dogs test. The plan is to start him at school this week. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to Mr. Dieken, Dr. Voss or Mrs. Seekins directly. Please be on the lookout for updates on Louie’s journey on the district’s Facebook page. Thank you for your continued support!