Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — This spring, the Tennessee legislature passed the Beyond Ordinary Learning Opportunities Act, also known as the BOLO Act.

Bolo is a therapy dog who works with Williamson County Schools and has been featured multiple times on News 2.

After seeing the positive results in the school system, Ali Hemyari, CEO of Nashville K-9 and once Bolo’s trainer, said he was approached by legislators interested in expanding the program.

As a result, Governor Bill Lee signed Senate Bill 1867 –known as the BOLO bill– in the spring of 2024.

The bill authorizes money for a test program that would put therapy dogs in five Tennessee schools.

When News 2 visited a Williamson County school months ago, the reaction to Bolo among the students was immediate and positive.

Students said petting Bolo made them feel better when they were down or just having bad day.

According to Hemyari, state legislators saw the News 2 report and determined that the “Bolo experiment” was worth trying statewide.

“Rep. Bulso came to us and said ‘this is a really cool idea, we could see where this could be very impactful,’” recalled Hemyari.

The BOLO Act calls for a one year pilot program to place a therapy dog in five public schools throughout the state.

According to the Tennessee Department of Education, the five schools selected to receive therapy dogs include Bristol Tennessee High School in Sullivan County; Central Elementary School in Carter County; North Stewart Elementary School in Stewart County; Sequatchie Middle School in Sequatchie County; and University Middle School in Shelby County.

In a statement, the department added that each school will be awarded $10,000 in grant funding to implement their own innovative pilot programming and collect relevant data for stakeholders by the end of the school year.

As of this writing, two schools —University Middle School and Bristol Tennessee High School— have obtained their dogs. Meanwhile, the remaining three schools are in the process of choosing their therapy dogs, said TDEC.

When News 2 visited Edmondson Elementary in Williamson County, longtime teacher Darlene Shelton said she noticed a difference the dog has made with students.

“There’s so many issues; there’s so many, like, anxiety with some of the children, about whether it’s a test or whether it’s a friend issue, and I think just having Bolo, even to rub, just to be there, I feel like…it’s such a calming effect for all of them,” Shelton previously explained.

Hemyari described some of the characteristics a dog selected in the BOLO Act must exhibit.

“So the dogs level of obedience is exceedingly high, dogs like this must be good around escalators, elevators, stairwells, loud noises, imagine a child’s pep rally, they must be genetically stable,” explained Hemyari. “That allows the dog to shine.”

News 2 reached out to Rep. Gin Bulso, one of the law sponsors, about the act. He stated:

“Ensuring students in Tennessee receive proper resources and support in education is paramount to putting them on a path toward success. Therapy dogs can be pivotal in improving social well-being, cognitive health and reading skills during such an integral time in a child’s development,” added Bulso. “The success of a similar program in Williamson County Schools encouraged me to pass this law, and I look forward to seeing the positive impact and joy this program will bring to more students across the Volunteer State.”

https://www.wkrn.com/news/tennessee-news/bill-authorizing-use-of-therapy-dogs-in-tennessee-schools-signed-into-law/