Two canine-assisted intervention dogs could soon be bringing four-legged stress relief to Greater Victoria schools, as a local organization aims to raise funds to support student and staff mental health. VIK9 AHSS is seeking community support to place its critical incident trauma (CIT) support dogs, Jack and Groot, in schools including Shoreline Community Middle School in View Royal and the ȽÁU, WELṈEW̱ tribal school in Central Saanich. Tyson King, president, CEO and lead trainer of VIK9 AHSS, said the dogs are trained to support individuals experiencing trauma, anxiety and stress, particularly during critical incidents or emotionally challenging situations. “They’re trained to work with people who have experienced trauma and they respond extremely well to children and school staff,” said King. Shoreline Community Middle School staff already have access to a service dog, Nayla, placed last spring by VIK9 AHSS. While both schools have expressed interest in the CIT dog program, funding remains the main barrier. King said school budgets are already stretched, making it difficult to cover the costs associated with the program. The criteria for the use of therapy dogs in schools includes that the therapy dog and handler must be trained and annually certified, and that the introduction of the dog must not create barriers to students’ learning, said Kelsey Moore, communications specialist of Greater Victoria School District No. 61. School officials said they would welcome the therapy dogs, as they provide comfort and emotional support to the students who frequently experience anxiety, but will not be directing any funds toward the program. King hopes to raise $20,000 through school or community funding to place Jack, a seven-year-old golden retriever, permanently in a school. He added that short-term support would cost $35 per hour per dog if a school wants Jack or his brother Groot on a temporary basis. VIK9 AHSS is open to either placing Jack permanently in one school or rotating him between multiple locations, depending on available funding. King said Groot “could be provided to a school for day-to-day support.” “The sooner we can get funding, the better,” said King. “Our hope is to get Jack placed as early as possible.”
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