Dozer the Therapy Dog is a Northwest Florida treasure.
The Great Dane greets customers monthly at the Crestview Walgreen's; his presence eases travelers' tension at the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport; he comforts residents at assisted living homes; he's a fixture at the Crestview Public Library; and, for two years, hundreds of local students enjoyed his on-campus visits.
But the Okaloosa County School District's recent decision to ban all animals not covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act from its campuses immediately raised concerns.
More than 11,000 people viewed the story on our website, 102 people shared it and countless people have commented on the decision. The story went viral, racking up countless more views, comments and shares from other sites that picked it up, such as the Northwest Florida Daily News.
Reaction is almost unanimous: Dozer should be allowed to stay at the schools.
Most residents think of Dozer — an American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen; a registered therapy dog certified for obedience training — as more of a service dog than a wild animal.
Here's what some readers said:
●"Dozer has helped so many, including my son, Ryan!" Jamie Mitchell said. "Whenever he is around Dozer, it's like a sense of calm comes over him.
"Our kids enjoy reading to Dozer at the library, and I hate that the school board has taken this away from the school kids!"
●"A trained therapy dog is not the same as animals brought in by a wildlife rescue," Angela Avery Lewis said. "Why we would want to deny the innovative and fun way to encourage children to read is beyond my comprehension."
●"How is a therapy dog the same as any other animal?" Jennifer Austin said. "Poor decision by the school board."
●"Looks like I'll be expressing my opinion on this ridiculous decision to deny Dozer the Therapy Dog at the voting booth for the party responsible," David Key-Harriss said.
Part of Dozer's public service comes from just being there for students who may be nervous reading in front of others. Reading to a dog who is non-judgmental can make the process less stressful; such a service encourages learning.
Having Dozer on campus helps students who can't visit him at the Crestview library, because some parents won't — or can't — take their children there.
In addition, visiting with Dozer teaches children how to interact with animals.
The school district is in a difficult position. We do live in a sue-happy society, and the culture moves many businesses and nonprofits to implement so-called fairness policies to remove liability.
But such policies are never really fair — in this case, that's true for those students whose parents can't afford to drive them to the Crestview Public Library to visit with Dozer.
The ban promotes students' and staffers' safety, according to Assistant Superintendent Nick Kootsouradis said. “As well-trained as animals are, sometimes they are unpredictable,” he told reporter Brian Hughes. “And you have the allergies issue.”
That's a fair point, but these concerns will remain the next time police K9 dogs visit Okaloosa campuses.
They are not banned — and they can't help students learn how to read, either.
What's your view? Write a letter to the editor or tweet News Bulletin Editor Thomas Boni.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: BONI: Sue-happy society spurs Okaloosa School District's blanket animal ban