BluePath Dogs Lead the Way!

BluePath Service Dogs is a non-profit organization that pairs autistic children with service dogs for use in school and at home. Based in Wappingers Falls, NY, BluePath has been training service dogs since 2016. The RCSD has been a BluePath Paws to Learn partner since 2021, when Detective Dave Caputo first brought the idea to the District. The partnership has proved to be very beneficial to both RCSD students and the BluePath pups alike!

The BluePath dogs that visit the RCSD schools are typically Labrador retrievers, Golden retrievers, and Labrador-Golden crosses. They are aged 18 to 24 months, have reached a high training level, and are close to their final career placement. For them, the program provides welcome socialization and interaction with children during their training.

When they visit the RCSD, the dogs spend time with students with and without learning disabilities at all three elementary schools, and at the middle and high schools.

Students with learning disabilities benefit therapeutically from time spent with the BluePath dogs. The dogs provide emotional support, assistance with mood regulation, opportunity for social engagement and connectedness, and increased physical activity. UCLA Health research confirms that animal-assisted therapy lowers anxiety, provides comfort, and increases mental stimulation. 

At Milton School, BluePath dogs visit students in self-contained classrooms on a weekly basis to provide therapeutic support. Meagan Barnett, special education teacher at Milton School, said, “BluePath brings calm, care, and connection to our school every Tuesday — teaching students responsibility, offering gentle comfort, and showing us simple ways to de-stress before the day begins."

After visiting Milton, the dogs head over to the middle and high school, where they spend time with special education students on the RMS SALT Squad, followed by those in the RHS GARNETS class. The dogs then head down to the Media Center so middle and high school students can stop by to visit them during community lunch. For these students (and the occasional teacher!), time spent with the dogs provides a welcome respite from the stresses and pressures of the school day. 

On alternating weeks, they visit students in general education classrooms at all three elementary schools and RMS. During a recent visit to Osborn School, kindergartners took turns reading aloud to the dogs. While this might sound odd, a UC Davis study found that students who practiced reading skills with classroom dogs increased fluency by between 12 and 30 percent!  Their teacher, Mrs. King, said, “Some lucky students in K-King had the opportunity to practice their reading to a special guest, while Destiny, a gorgeous two-year-old dog in training, practiced her patience and listening skills. It was a treat for all involved!"

Thank you to BluePath for helping all our students achieve their greatest potential!

BluePath dogs visit a self-contained classroom at Milton

Taking a walk with the BluePath dogs at RMS

Kindergartners practice reading skills with a rapt audience

4th graders learning about the BluePath program