Hamilton City Schools expands therapy‑dog program; administration aims for a dog in every building
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Summary
District officials introduced Tango, a newly certified therapy dog, described research linking therapy animals to lowered anxiety and said community donations have funded the program so no district dollars are being used; administrators want to onboard 4–5 dogs a year toward a dog per building.
The Hamilton City School Board on Feb. 10 heard a presentation about Tango, the district’s newest certified therapy dog, and plans to expand animal‑assisted supports across school buildings. Presenters said Tango and Arrow (an existing therapy dog) are intended to help students with emotional regulation and to create calm learning environments.
A presenter described the goal of placing a therapy dog in each building over the coming years and said community donations and partner organizations have funded the initiative so far. "Through community donations, through different agencies, we've been able to raise the money completely so that not 1 district dollar is being used for this," a district speaker said. The presentation cited research about reduced anxiety, improved attendance and better behavior where therapy animals are used.
Students and staff who interacted with the dogs described positive experiences; students spoke about design projects and cafeteria improvements elsewhere in the meeting that emphasized community identity and student engagement. Presenters asked the board to support expansion and thanked local groups for funding and volunteer support.
Next steps: presenters said the district will continue fundraising and onboarding additional certified dogs, aiming for 4–5 dogs a year to eventually provide a dog at every school building.