TINTON FALLS, N.J. (PIX11) -- School can be hard - but loving Remy and Magic is elementary.
Rosemary Laubach is their handler, and over the course of four decades, she has seen the impact therapy dogs can have on kids at school.
"I would love to see therapy dogs in every school," said Laubach.
When Remy and Magic aren't helping to train other dogs at Bayshore Companion Dog Club in Tinton Falls, they're spending time with students in the classrooms of Old Bridge Public Schools.
Laubach said therapy dogs can relieve anxiety, teach social skills and impulse control, and give kids something to look forward to.
"[Students will] do things for the dog they won't do for humans," said Laubach.
A new bill in Trenton looks to get the ball rolling on getting more furry friends like Remy and Magic into schools.
S1253 would allow the Department of Education to select two school districts each from North, Central, and South Jersey to participate in the three-year pilot program, where data will be collected on the dogs' impact on the kids, which lawmakers expect would be positive.
"if that's the case, then we hope we'll be able to allow this program to be part of the curriculum and work throughout the state of New Jersey for every school district," Republican State Senator and Senate Minority Leader Anthony Bucco, who is sponsoring the bill with Democratic State Senator James Beach.
The two are reaching across party lines to address kids' mental health, an issue made more prfound by the pandemic.
"This isn't a Democrat or Republican issue," said Bucco. "This is a wellness issue."
Senator Beach told PIX11 News in a statement:
“School-aged children are facing a broad mental health crisis. Research demonstrates that the use of therapy dogs in a school setting can improve confidence, motivation and even school attendance. Affording local school districts the opportunity to incorporate therapy dogs into their public elementary school wellness programs will create a more expansive toolkit to address the social and emotional needs of students. This bill will also provide that school districts receive guidance on implementing and evaluating the program in order to maximize outcomes.”
"I hope they seriously consider this, and we can get it going, and it would be wonderful," said Laubach.
The bill is set to be discussed during the Senate Education Meeting on Thursday.
English (US) ·