LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A day at Morton Middle School isn’t full till a wagging tail and slobbery smile greets you on the door.
“Ellie is just something special,” mentioned the grandparent of 1 pupil.
The Ellie she’s referring to isn’t a instructor or pupil, however a skilled and authorized remedy canine who’s captured the hearts of many at Morton Middle School.
Two years in the past, Ellie started accompanying her proprietor, a college counselor, at Morton. According to Morton households, it didn’t take lengthy for the pup to turn into an integral a part of the day-to-day routine.
“When they see Ellie dressed in her Morton outfit, they just smile and know they can come over and give her a hug and know that she’s going to brighten their day,” mentioned the Morton grandparent.
Studies present that dogs scale back stress, anxiousness, and melancholy. In the customarily attempting and transformative center college years, some households imagine Ellie has acted as a continuing consolation to college students and lecturers.
“We never know when some sort of emotional trauma has happened to one of our kids or teachers, so I feel like it’s important that she’s here daily with our kids,” mentioned the grandparent.
That day by day companionship might be coming to an finish after FCPS introduced a coverage change.
In regard to animals within the classroom, FCPS will solely enable animals for particular and applicable academic functions, as they’re required below the ADA, or in the event that they’re authorized by the district disaster response workforce.
You can discover a hyperlink to FCPS insurance policies here.
The chance of a college yr with out Ellie prompted one pupil to petitiongarnering almost 1,500 signatures already.
According to highschool board chair Tyler Murphy, the district is growing procedures to supply exemptions for remedy dogs who could not fall inside their definitions, however whether or not these exemptions apply to Ellie remains to be up within the air.
With a brand new college yr on the horizon, Morton households are hopeful their favourite pup can be greeting them on day one.
“Hopefully, we’ll see Ellie on the first day. Keep your fingers crossed,” mentioned the Morton grandparent.
