(Canada) BC district adds therapy dogs to help "calm children," "lower stress"

Oct 1, 2018, Tri—City News, Port Coquitlam, B.C.: Calm dog, calm kids https://www.tricitynews.com/news/calm-dog-calm-kids-1.23448213 There’s more tail wagging going on in School District 43 than ever before with the introduction of two new therapy dogs in Tri-City middle schools. Lennon, named after the famed Beatle, and Iris, graduated Sunday from the annual Pacific Assistance Dogs training program and, along with their handlers, will be helping to calm children and create a positive atmosphere at their schools…. Lisa Rinke, principal at Scott Creek middle, says her PADS dog Iris is always ready for a couch cuddle when conversations in the office get difficult, and the dog has the ability to lower stress in a room of students taking a test. … Research has found that children's heart rates slow and blood pressure drops in the presence of a calm, friendly dog, an important consideration because many children suffer from anxiety.