IMG THERAPY DOGS & OTHER THERAPY ANIMALS
SERVICETHERAPY DOGS & OTHER THERAPY ANIMALS IN SCHOOLS
The Regional School Unit 1 Board of Directors recognizes that service animals may be used to provide assistance to some persons with disabilities. This policy governssupports the presenceuse of servicetherapy animalsdogs inby theteachers schools,or onother qualified school property, including school buses, and at school activities.
DEFINITION
As applied to schools, federal and Maine laws define a “service animal” as a dog that is individually trained to do workpersonnel or performcontracted tasksservices provider (“Owner”) for the benefit of anits individualstudents withsubject a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual or other mental disability. Other species of animals, whether wild or domestic, trained or untrained, are not service animals forto the purposeconditions of this definition.policy. The Board wishes to make clear that a student’s access to a therapy dog is considered an educational opportunity/privilege, and not an educational right.
The work or tasks performed by a service animal must be directly related to the individual’s disability. Examples of such work or tasks include, but are not limited to, assisting an individual who is totally or partially blind with navigation and other tasks, alerting an individual who is deaf or hard of hearing to the presence of people or sounds, providing nonviolent protection or rescue work, pulling a wheelchair, assisting an individual during a seizure, alerting an individual to the presence of allergens, retrieving items such as medicine or a telephone, providing physical support and assistance with balance and stability to an individual with a mobility disability and helping a person with a psychiatric or neurological disability by preventing or interrupting impulsive or destructive behaviors. DEFINITIONS
TheTherapy crimeDog: deterrentA effects“therapy ofdog” anis animal’sa presencedog that has been individually trained and thecertified provisionto ofwork with its Owner to provide emotional support, well-being, comfortcomfort, or companionship doto school-aged students. Therapy dogs are not constitute“service workanimals” as that term is used in the American with Disabilities Act. The dog must be well behaved and have a temperament that is suitable for interaction with students and others in a public school setting. Therapy dogs are personal property of the owner and are not owned by the School Department.
Owner: An individual who owns the therapy dog and who guarantees the therapy dog has been properly trained, certified, vaccinated, and who insures the animal against all potential liabilities. An owner must be either an employee of the district or tasksa forcontracted theservice purposesprovider. ofThe thisowner definition.is limited to having one trained therapy dog on school grounds at any given time.
THERAPY DOG STANDARDS AND PROCEDURES
USEThe OFfollowing SERVICErequirements ANIMALSmust INbe SCHOOLS
Use ofBEFORE a servicetherapy animal by a qualified student with a disabilitydog will be allowed in school whenbuildings itor ison determinedschool thatgrounds within the student’sRSU disability1 requiresSchools: such use in order to have equal access to the instructional program, school services and/or school activities.
UseRequest: ofAn a service animal by a qualified employee with a disability will be allowed when such use is necessary to enable the employee to perform the essential functions of their job or to enjoy benefits of employment comparable to those of similarly situated non-disabled employees.
The parent/guardian of a studentOwner who believes the student needswants to bring a servicetherapy animaldog to school, or an employee who wishes to bring a service animal to school,school must submit a written request form to a principal and/or the superintendent for approval. The request must be renewed each school year. The request must also be renewed whenever a different therapy dog will be used.
Training and Certification: The Owner must submit the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen Certification or its equivalent as determined by the Superintendent. The certification must remain current at all times.
Health and Vaccination: The therapy dog must be clean, well groomed, in good health, housebroken, and vaccinated against diseases common to dogs. The Owner must submit proof of current licensure from the local licensing authority and proof of the therapy dog’s current vaccinations from a licensed veterinarian.
Control: A therapy dog must be under the control of the owner through the use of a leash or other tether. The therapy dog must be under the Owner’s control at all times.
Identification: The therapy dog must have appropriate identification identifying it as a therapy dog.
No Disruption: The therapy dog must not disrupt the educational process by barking, seeking attention or any other behavior deemed disruptive.
Health and Safety: The therapy dog must not pose a health and safety risk to any student, employee, or other person at school. A “health” risk may be defined to include both physical and mental health. The interpretation of what poses such a potential risk is left up to the building principal. The building principal, in consultation with the Section 504 CoordinatorPrincipal or Directorhis/her of Special Education, as appropriate,designee and theis Superintendentnot subject to appeal. A therapy dog will determine whether or not to permit the service animal in school.
Parents or animal handlers who will be presentbrought ininto schoola forclassroom the purpose of assistingif a student within theirthat serviceclassroom has a documented health risk related to dogs. If any student or school employee assigned to a classroom in which a therapy dog is permitted suffers an allergic reaction to the therapy dog, the Owner of the animal will be required to submitremove the animal to a sexdifferent offenderlocation registrydesignated by the administrator. Cleaning procedures will be followed whenever a therapy dog occupies a shared space in the building.
Supervision and criminalCare backgroundof check.Therapy Dogs: InThe addition,Owner parentsis solely responsible for the supervision and handlers must comply with all standards of conduct that apply to school employees and volunteers.
The school unit may impose additional conditions on the presence of a service animal, depending upon the circumstances.
The building principal may remove or exclude a service animal from the school or school property if the presencecare of the animaltherapy posesdog, aincluding directany threatfeeding, to the healthexercising, and safetyclean-up of others or the student, employee or handler is unable to fully control the animal; orwhile the animal fails to consistently perform the function(s)/service(s) for which it has been trained and brought to school.
A parent or employee whose service animal has been removed or excluded may appeal the decision to the Superintendent. If dissatisfied with the Superintendent’s decision, the parent or employee may appeal to the Board.
SERVICE ANIMALS AT SCHOOL-SPONSORED EVENTS
Individuals with disabilities may be accompanied by their service animals to events or activities open to the public that are heldis in schoolsa school building or on school property. The school district is not responsible for providing any care, supervision, or assistance for a therapy dog.
Authorized Area(s): The useOwner shall only allow the therapy dog to be in areas within school buildings or on school property that are authorized by school district administrators.
Damages to School Property and Injuries: The Owner of a servicetherapy animal may not be conditioned on the payment of a fee or security deposit, but the individualdog is solely responsible and liable for any damage doneto school property or injury to thepersonnel, premisesstudents, or facilitiesothers caused by suchthe therapy dog.
Insurance: The Owner must submit a copy of an animal.insurance policy that provides liability coverage for the therapy dog while on any school property in an amount determined by the Superintendent.
TheEXCLUSION buildingOR principalREMOVAL FROM SCHOOL
A therapy dog may revokebe orexcluded excludefrom school property and buildings if a school administrator determines that:
A handler does not have control of the servicetherapy animaldog; only
The iftherapy thedog animalis posesnot housebroken;
The therapy dog presents a direct threat to the health and safety ofrisk others,as defined above;
The therapy dog presents a direct and immediate threat to others in the use of the animal would result in substantial physical damage to the property of others,school; or would
The interfereanimals’ presence otherwise interferes with the reasonableeducational enjoyment of the event or activity by others.
Legal Reference: 42 USC § 12101 et seq.
36 CFR § 104, 302
5 MRSA §§ 4553, 4592
Me. Human Rights Commission Rule Chapter 7process.
The Owner shall be required to remove the therapy dog from school premises immediately upon such a determination by school administration.
Other certified therapy animals will be considered if endorsed by the Maine Department of Education for this purpose. The same approval procedures will be utilized.
Cross ReferencesReference: AC - Nondiscrimination, Equal Opportunity, and Affirmative Action
IMG -– Animals in Schools
IMGA – Service Animals in Schools
Adopted: April 27, 2026