NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — This spring, the Tennessee legislature passed the Beyond Ordinary Learning Opportunities Act, also known as the BOLO Act.
Bolo is a therapy dog who works with Williamson County Schools and has been featured multiple times on News 2.
After seeing the positive results in the school system, Ali Hemyari, CEO of Nashville K-9 and once Bolo’s trainer, said he was approached by legislators interested in expanding the program.
JAN. 2023 | Williamson County Schools gets first therapy dog
As a result, Governor Bill Lee signed Senate Bill 1867 –known as the BOLO bill– in the spring of 2024.
The bill authorizes money for a test program that would put therapy dogs in five Tennessee schools.
When News 2 visited a Williamson County school months ago, the reaction to Bolo among the students was immediate and positive.
Students said petting Bolo made them feel better when they were down or just having bad day.
According to Hemyari, state legislators saw the News 2 report and determined that the “Bolo experiment” was worth trying statewide.