A couple of those faces will belong to canines.

There are two new therapy dogs in the district – Hero, an 11-month-old golden retriever, and Pepper, a 7-month-old goldendoodle. Both are still undergoing training.

Each is assigned to a school, but will not be spending all their time in that building.

Hero will spend a majority of his days with Special Education Supervisor Heather Stover at Beaty-Warren Middle School.

Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry Therapy dogs that will be available in Warren County School District buildings include, from left, Warren County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Olive with Deputy and School Resource Office Josh Warmath, school district PAWSitive Support Program therapy dog Pepper with Occupational Therapist Cayla Leichtenberger.

Warren Area Elementary Center is the official home base for Pepper, but she and Itinerant Occupational Therapist Cayla Leichtenberger will move around the district quite a bit.

The therapy dog program is being run as a pilot this year to see how it turns out.

The school approved bringing the dogs on board in April. The language in the agenda item said: “Therapy dogs help create a comfortable, happy, and safe environment. Studies show that children’s reading abilities improve with the use of therapy dogs. Changes in attitudes toward reading, reading skill levels, schoolwork, attitudes toward homework, attendance, and changes in self-esteem and self-confidence can be seen by involving a therapy dog in a school. Therapy dogs have also been known to decrease levels of anxiety.”

“Let’s see the good, let’s see the bad,” Superintendent Amy Stewart said as the dogs and the PAWSitive Support Program were introduced to the staff at a district-wide in-service day Tuesday.

The dogs have been working over the summer and have already shown positive outcomes – “the de-escalation time,” Stewart said. “I think there are a lot of gains to be had.”

Warren County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Olive was also present for the in-service.

Deputy and School Resource Officer Josh Warmath said Olive received certification as a therapy dog last week through Therapy Dogs United.