Madera Unified adds 3 therapy dogs to its schools to support student well-being

MADERA, Calif. (KFSN) -- The pb schoolhouse information officers successful the Madera Unified School District are connected field to support kids harmless physically.

Their caller partners, equipped with badges of their own, are determination to support kids harmless emotionally.

"My biggest anticipation is that she tin bring a grin to a kid's look erstwhile she comes connected campus," MUSD Lead School Safety Officer Tony Dominguez said.

Dominguez is partnered up with Roe, a 2-year-old terrier pug mix.

"What she lacks successful size, she makes up for successful personality," Officer Dominguez said.

"She's assured successful herself, successful the mode she walks. She's not shy. She volition spell consecutive to the kids. She loves to beryllium petted," Officer Dominguez said.

Roe, Umi and Jericho are each from Valley State Prison successful Chowchilla.

They were rescue dogs trained by inmates who graduated with "Canine Good Citizen" certification.

Now, they're each becoming certified arsenic therapy dogs for Madera Unified.

"I similar to picture our dogs arsenic imperfect but perfect, conscionable similar our children," MUSD Director of Safety and Security Lawrence Fernandez said.

Fernandez says this process has been 4 years successful the making.

They looked into the programme aft recognizing behavioral issues successful students.

"We privation them to assistance children flooded that trauma and immoderate behavioral issues that they have, but conscionable bring that happiness to the schools," Fernandez said.

Each pup has its ain peculiar charm.

Roe is un-intimidating with a agleam bluish Mohawk.

Umi is gentle and warm.

Jericho is energetic and trained successful Spanish and English.

"So we're an unusual brace due to the fact that erstwhile radical look astatine us, they say, ok, the feline got the tiny canine and the girls, they got the large dogs," Officer Dominguez said.

The dogs and their handlers are each assigned to a precocious schoolhouse and its six feeder schools but tin enactment connected different campuses arsenic needed.

Officer Dominguez hopes the cute canines volition assistance heal the students and besides marque each of the schoolhouse information officers little intimidating.

"Now we tin person a antithetic cognition of america erstwhile we locomotion connected field and say, 'Hey, you know, Officer Dominguez is present with the dog. He's not present to get america successful trouble, similar let's spell speech to him.'" Dominguez said.

By November 1, each 3 are expected to beryllium afloat certified and moving astatine their respective schoolhouse sites.

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