East Penn adds therapy dogs to support students

East Penn is putting a therapy dog program into place before the start of the 2021-22 school year, to support students’ emotional health. According to an article on WFMZ.com, three dogs will be in district schools full-time everyday during the school year and will live with district employees. The East Penn Education Foundation will fund the dogs’ purchase and training through Dog Sense, a Lancaster-based company. Although the district has had dogs in the schools periodically, this will be the first time a full-time program has been implemented. Mike Mihalik, East Penn’s supervisor of secondary curriculum and instruction, said in the article that the emotional support an animal can provide will make students happier and could prevent a crisis.