Pennsbury School District Sued After Banning Service Animal: Report

A local family is suing the Pennsbury School District after they say it refused to allow their 8-year-old son’s service dog to continue to accompany him at Makefield Elementary School, according to a report by the Bucks County Courier Times.

The lawsuit claims the district has violated the Americans With Disabilities Act for banning the canine, which helps the diabetic boy detect unexpected and dangerous shifts in his blood sugar levels.

The suit was filed Monday and identifies the boy and his family only by initials, according to the report. The Pennsbury School District did not immediately return a request for comment from Patch.

The Courier Times reports the dog allegedly bit another student in March, an accusation the family denies in the lawsuit. The family claims the dog instead was reacting to the boy being taunted; in any event, the family says in the suit they have received training since the incident.

The breed and age of the dog were not included in the report.

Diabetic service dogs are recognized as an effective aid for people who suffer from the blood sugar condition, according to medical information website Heathline.

According to an article written by medical professionals and published on the website:

Hypoglycemia unawareness is a common — and dangerous — condition that can develop in those with type 1 diabetes. This condition means you don’t experience the symptoms most people do when their blood sugar gets too low. Normal symptoms of low blood sugar include sweating, shaking, or confusion. At very low levels, you may experience seizures, or go into a coma if your blood sugar is too low for too long. One of the solutions for this condition is man’s best friend: a diabetes service dog.

So how does the service dog detect these dangerously low levels in their companion’s bloodstream?

As Heathline explains, it’s related to a dog’s heightened sense of smell. If properly trained, diabetic service dogs can smell ketones produced by a human body when they are experiencing a hyperglycemic episode or the “unique scent” a person gives off during a hypoglycemic episode.

The student’s inability to bring his dog to school could be hindering the service animal’s overall effectiveness, some experts would say.

According to EENP, a nonprofit organization that trains diabetic service dogs, diabetic assistance dogs are most effective when they are able to be with their diabetic partners at all times.

“They are trained to be unobtrusive helpmates in public settings, and are permitted to accompany their partners in public places via the Americans with Disabilities Act and related state legislation,” the organization said on its website.