Dog will accompany student in high school
Golden retriever trained to signal for help in event of seizure
BY VINCENT TODARO Staff Writer

Katlin Miller, a junior at Spotswood High School, with her new service dog, Greta, who was trained and given to the family by Canine Assistants to assist in the event that Katlin has an epileptic seizure.

SPOTSWOOD - A borough high school student will soon be accompanied by a service dog in school to help her in the event of an epileptic seizure.

The Board of Education has voted to allow Katlin MiIler, a 16-year-old Spotswood High School junior, to have the dog with her at school. The dog will know to signal for help if Katlin is about to have or is having a seizure.

Katlin was diagnosed with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy about two years ago, and has endured numerous seizures, according to her mother, Maggie. There are numerous external stimuli that can trigger an attack, and the triggers are not always avoidable.

School officials had several concerns before agreeing to allow the service dog arrangement, and the school board's attorney worked with the Miller family and its attorney to finalize an agreement. It is expected that the dog will accompany the student starting Monday.

Maggie Miller said the dog will be with her daughter 24 hours a day, providing her with greater security.

Miller previously told the Sentinel of an example in which the dog could have helped. Last year, Katlin had a seizure after school while preparing for a sporting event in the girls' locker room. No one else was around. Katlin fell, hitting her head and suffered a concussion. She remained unconscious for 25 minutes before recovering. The seizure had no warning signs, Maggie noted, and nothing could have been done to alert someone that Katlin needed help.

The dog is trained to get help should that occur again, Maggie said, and also to respond to Katlin's commands. Katlin often has warnings before a seizure, and can alert the dog that something is about to happen.

This is believed to be one of the first cases of a student being permitted to have a dog accompany her in school in New Jersey, and Bartlett said this is the first time Spotswood had a request for a service dog to be allowed. He said school officials feel for Katlin and her family, but wanted to make sure the dog poses no threat to other students or disrupts the school day. He said the district was also worried about who would walk the dog and feed it during the day.

"It's been heartbreaking to know how difficult this has been for the family, and especially for Katlin, and I sincerely hope the service dog can in some way help her," Bartlett said. "As a parent, I can only imagine what they are going through."

The dog, a golden retriever named Greta, was trained and donated by Canine Assistants, a private, nonprofit group in Alpharetta, Ga. Delta Air Lines Inc. and the UCB pharmaceutical group sponsored the donation.

Maggie MiIler attended "dog camp" with her daughter recently in Georgia. She said the dog is very docile. The dog will answer only to Katlin, and respond only to commands that are accurately stated, including accents in words.

"It's very intense and draining, being in this training," Maggie said, referring to her daughter, herself, and the dog.

While she is glad the dog is being allowed at the high school, Miller said she was not pleased that the district insisted that she take out a $1 million liability insurance policy. She said at first the district balked at the idea of allowing the dog, but she followed up with letters and an appearance at a board meeting. She also worked with an attorney.

"It's a reasonable accommodation," she said of the dog's presence.

The dog will have to go through a probationary period, however, before the district allows her to stay full time, Maggie said.

In negotiations, Maggie said one thing she insisted on was the provision that a hearing be held first if the dog is to be banned from the school for any reason.

"We do have to worry about the other occupants at the high school," Bartlett said.

Bartlett noted there is not enough scientific evidence to conclude that the dog will definitely be helpful. However, he said anecdotal evidence is strong enough that "there must be something here." The school district is being led to believe that the dog will not present any problems, he said, noting that the board hopes that is the case.

"I'm very grateful to the family for working with us and understanding we had to be concerned for the other nearly 800 students and staff members," he said.

Maggie said the dog has already helped Katlin through two seizures that occurred at the dog camp.

"It's not the type of dog that could cause any trouble," she said.