Service Dog
"KATE"
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Our principal, Mr. Slonkosky, and his family are raising a service dog named Kate, and he will be bringing her to school on some Fridays. He will be instructing students about the appropriate behavior toward animals that they encounter and specifically toward service animals. The Americans with Disabilities Act allows service animals in all public places. Help remind your children of the following:
Never approach or touch any dog or other animal without checking with your own parents and the owner first.
- Dogs wearing vests are Service Dogs and are “working.” They have to concentrate on their work and cannot be petted or touched while working.
- If you have a student with an allergy to dogs, please alert the office or your child’s teacher so that we can work to eliminate the possibility of contact.
- Kate will only visit classes where 100% of the animal waiver forms have been completed.
Facts about Kate:
- Mr. Slonkosky and his family are raising a service dog named Kate.
- Kate was specifically selected for her gentle disposition and eagerness to work. She has a brother and sister who are also being raised as service dogs.
- She was born in February 2009, and will be with the Slonkosky family until she is 18 months old.
- She is “in training” to become a service dog for a person with a disability, perhaps someone in a wheel chair.
- She attends weekly “puppy classes” and also is learning to ride on busses, in elevators, cars, and trains. She goes with the family to movies, restaurants, stores, malls, and baseball games.
- When she is 18 months old, Kate will attend advanced training. In advanced training she may learn to open refrigerators, push elevator buttons, assist a disabled person to stand, pick items up off the floor, fetch socks, pull off sweatshirts, or other specific assistance activities as needed.
- When she completes advanced training, she will attend “team training” along with the person who she will learn to assist
- Service Dogs receive over two years of specialized training all together!Service Dog “puppy raisers” are not paid; they donate their time and money to raise the dogs as a community service to help individuals who are disabled.
- Kate has an insurance policy specifically for the purpose of being trained in schools. A copy of the policy is available in the office.
- The Slonkosky family has trained 5 service dogs and 2 of them have been assigned to school aged children. The other 3 work assist adults.
Additional information and opportunities to volunteer are available from
Canine Support Teams, Inc. 951-301-3625
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