Gateway Middle counselor presents therapy dog Kyla; certification planned Dec. 11

"Good evening, everybody. My name is Rich Taylor. I'm a counselor a school counselor over at Gateway Middle School," Rich Taylor told the board during the Dec. 2 meeting as he introduced Kyla, a therapy dog he is seeking to place in the school counseling suite.

Taylor said Kyla is a Havapoodle (Havanese × miniature poodle mix) and described the handler training and certification process the dog has completed to date. Taylor told the board that Kyla "did phenomenal pass with flying colors" on initial observations and that her final observation and certification is scheduled for Dec. 11 at Gateway Middle School, when an evaluator named Gloria will bring other certified dogs and speak to students about therapy-dog handling.

Nut graf: The presentation outlined how the dog would be used as a counseling tool rather than a pet on campus — Taylor said Kyla would be kept in the counseling suite on a fixed four-foot leash while in hallways, crated when unattended, and used in targeted settings including the life-skills classroom, autistic-support classes and intervention groups. Taylor said Kyla is insured through Alliance Dog Therapy (coverage and fees were discussed during the presentation).

Taylor described stepwise training: public outings to stores and libraries, a formal evaluation at a medical facility (required by the certifying program), and additional observations in assisted-living and school settings. He said the final Gateway observation will let students and staff meet multiple therapy dogs and learn handler practices. Taylor said the handler program requires ongoing maintenance: once certified, a therapy dog must take regular appearances (Taylor said roughly every three months) at public sites such as libraries to maintain certification.

Taylor discussed safety and allergen concerns and said staff would mitigate those by keeping Kyla in controlled spaces and not bringing the dog to all meetings. He told the board that Kyla’s insurance premium the trainer referenced was $300 and that the policy includes a $2,000,000 liability limit; the transcript also referenced an additional $10,000 item associated with the certification insurance but did not specify the exact coverage name.

Board members and other attendees asked about student reactions, aggressive-student protocols and logistics. Taylor said counselors and staff know which students might be a risk to an animal and that initial use would be supervised and limited to controlled classroom or counseling settings. He said the dog’s small size and calm temperament make Kyla suitable for lap visits for students who benefit from tactile contact but that staff would not bring Kyla into settings where a student’s safety could be at risk.

Taylor described a speaker series for fifth graders at Gateway Middle School that brings community guests into classrooms; he said the final observation and certification event on Dec. 11 will be scheduled during a school period (around 12:05 p.m.) and invited board members and staff to attend.

Ending: Taylor closed by thanking the board and noting Kyla’s certification schedule and next steps for training and insurance. The board did not take formal action on the presentation during the meeting; Taylor said he would continue the certification process and bring any required policies or formal requests back to the board if necessary.