By Erica Thomas, managing editor
TRUSSVILLE – The Trussville City Schools Board of Education discussed a new program that provides service dogs for schools.
The dogs would be used facility-wide to help calm students, teachers or faculty who are experiencing anxiety. They are able to sense when a person experiences a high level of cortisol, also known as “the stress hormone.” The dogs alert to the raised level and respond by joining the person experiencing anxiety.
The Assistant Superintendent of Student Support Services, Dr. Mandi Logan, presented a video showing the board how the program works.
Dogs are provided by Service Dogs of Alabama and are trained at Julia Tutwiler Prison for women. Logan said the dogs give the prisoners a purpose and help them rehabilitate.
“Since they have done this program, there hasn’t been one woman that has been a repeat offender,” said Logan.
Logan said she has had several teachers and counselors approach her about the program. Logan hopes Trussville City Schools can be put on a waiting list for a grant to get service dogs.
If Trussville gets service K9s, there would be a designated owner that would take the dog home every day. The person would be trained on how to handle a service dog.
