Good News for A Boy and His Dog
A Douglas County family got good news last week that you may have missed in the local papers. The story began when a Villa Grove school prohibited Kaleb Drew, who is autistic, from bringing his service dog to school. The family fought the decision in the courts and won, but the School District appealed the trial court's ruling. Now the Illinois Appellate Court has upheld the trial court's decision. Good news for Kaleb, his dog, and his family!
From the AP:
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — An Illinois appeals court has agreed to allow a central Illinois student to keep his autism helper dog in school.
The Fourth District Appellate Court sided with the family of Kaleb Drew (pictured). They had argued that the boy's yellow Labrador retriever is a service animal allowed in schools under state law.
The boy's mother had testified that the dog prevents the boy from running away, helps him focus on his homework and calms him when he has a tantrum.
The appeals court upheld the November decision of a Douglas County judge. The court issued its opinion August 24.
The Villa Grove school district had opposed the dog's presence and argued that it isn't a true service animal. A telephone message for the school district's attorney was not immediately returned.
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