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Assembly committee hears evidence for therapy‑dog pilot in elementary schools
Summary
Lawmakers and witnesses told the Assembly Education Committee that a three‑year pilot using certified therapy dogs could boost students' social‑emotional learning, reading confidence and behavior—testifiers urged strict consent, allergy safeguards and data collection before wider rollout.
A three‑year pilot to test therapy dogs in public elementary school wellness programs drew detailed testimony Wednesday as the New Jersey Assembly Education Committee discussed Assembly bill A1165.
Supporters led by Scott Woodside, Rowan University’s associate vice president for community health and well‑being, and Michelle Pick, founding head of Rowan’s pet therapy program, told the committee the university has five years of experience operating certified human‑animal interventions and offered to provide training, research and data support if the pilot is authorized. “We can prepare dogs and educators and handlers for working in school environments,” Pick said, urging consent‑based protocols, allergy tracking, canine stress recognition and spatial/time limits to protect…
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