Warren County School District board members raised concerns about a proposal that would see the district purchase two therapy dogs.

The issue was presented to the board at the outset of committee meetings and then discussed in more depth by members later in the evening.

The proposed agreement is with New Hope Assistance Dogs.

Amy Bennett, the organization’s founder, said it has been “amazing” to spend time with students in the schools.

“The majority of them just flock to the dogs,” she said, highlighting the difference their presence made in light of recent tragedies.

She walked the board through just what a therapy dog would be trained to do, that they’re trained to be calm, friendly and tolerate all situations.

“They’re also taught a lot about using their own extinct to go and seek out people that need them,” she said, highlighting the “extreme socialization” and “exposure to many environments” that make up the training.

She called the dogs “virtually as bomb-proof as they come.”

The current proposal would see the two dogs primarily located at Beaty-Warren Middle School and Warren Area Elementary Center.

The district’s director of pupil services, Dr. Patricia Mead, said the second handler has WAEC as a home school but has duties at five or six schools where the dog could follow.

Each dog costs $5,000 but officials with New Hope indicated that one would be provided at no cost as a result of funding the organization receives through the United Fund.

“I absolutely love the idea and the program,” Board member Jeff Dougherty said during an ensuing committee meeting. He raised, however, several practical issues to address such as liability and insurance but also pending staffing issues, possible tax issues and negotiations.

“I really feel that this is not the appropriate time to discuss purchasing dogs,” he said, “with the current situation we’re in.”

Mead deferred to the solicitor on the liability issue but said other districts purchase insurance on the dogs to cover liability. She also said that organizations often partner to provide assistance such as free food.

“Those are things we did consider,” she said, explaining that this is not an addition to the budget because it replaces a service the district won’t be contracting for moving forward.

Mead added that the staff selected were picked due to their itinerant role, meaning they operate in more than one district building, and both work extended school year schedules into the summer.

Board President Paul Mangione asked how the district would handle each school wanting a dog and the district ending up with eight dogs.

“It depends on who you ask,” Mead said, noting that the discussion for this possibility started in 2019.

Committee chair Joe Colosimo asked that the item be moved ahead to the March meeting for consideration to give time for administration to answer some of the outstanding questions.