‘Another tool in the toolbox’: Middle Tennessee district has therapy dogs in all schools

Schools in the Franklin Special School District have nine unique faculty members whose goal is to help to make each day a little brighter for students and teachers.

It all started in 2019 when Labradoodle therapy dog Mattie Grace first stepped into Johnson Elementary. At that time, Franklin educators said they never could have imagined the district would grow to include therapy dogs in all schools, but today, it’s a reality.

The district first received Mattie Grace as a gift from a breeder in East Tennessee. Since then, dogs have been gifted, donated and rescued from shelters.

The nonprofit Nashville Retrieving Independence has supplied the majority of the district’s dogs, officials said, noting that the animals don’t meet the strict criteria required of service dogs, but can become certified as therapy dogs. They range in breeds and size and must hold the required certification.

“The plan was so overwhelmingly successful that we decided to implement the program in all of our schools,” Director of Schools David Snowden said, adding that he planned to get one dog per year, but Mattie Grace’s impact at Johnson Elementary forced them to fast-track the timeline.

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