‘There is no closure’: Parents shocked after WRDSB ends service dog program without notice

Parents are speaking out after a beloved service dog program was shut down at Sheppard Public School in Kitchener.

In 2020, the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) partnered with National Service Dogs (NSD) to open its Canine Assisted Intervention program at the school.

Nacho and Quessa, two trained dogs, were made available to anyone experiencing discomfort, disruption or discomfort. NSD says Quessa had attended the school since 2017.

“If children are upset or anxious, the dogs come onto their laps and they can sit with them,” said Rochelle Barber NSD, director of operations for the NSD.

Lauren Logan has three neurodivergent children who attend Sheppard Public School. She said she enrolled her children in the school because it was the only one in the area with dogs.

“The dogs were actually one of the main reasons we were able to get (my son) to school because he had so much anxiety,” Logan told CTV News.

Students and parents expected the dogs to return for another school year, but when the semester started, the dogs were not there.

“Taking away a support, taking away a dog and not saying anything is just cruel,” Logan said. “There are no goodbyes. There is no closure.”

NSD said the school board’s decision was due to conflicting policies regarding the use of service dogs.

In a statement to CTV News, WRDSB Associate Director Bill Lemon said:

“The Sheppard Public School dog pilot project was terminated due to a lack of data, making it impossible to assess its performance and impact on students and staff. This challenge was exacerbated by the lack of a sustainable plan for the future project.”

Barber said data was being collected all the time.

“Every week, data was kept on how much support the dogs provided, how often they did an intervention with a child,” Barber said. “The data supports the need for a dog.”

Madison Kolberg said her daughter relied on the program at school. Now that it’s gone, she worries about other children who won’t get the support her daughter did.

“We are willing to work hard to help not only our children adjust, but also other children who are in a similar situation,” Kolberg said.

An online petition has already collected more than 100 signatures and is calling on the school board to bring back the dogs.

Parents will also make a presentation to the school board on November 11 asking for the program to be reopened.

Meanwhile, Nacho and Quessa are at home without a workplace. Barber said they still get excited every time they walk past the school.

“They like to work. They love being with the kids,” Barber said