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Meet Buttercup, CVHS Police Therapy Dog

Meet Buttercup, Castle View High School Police Therapy Dog
Posted on 04/23/2021
Buttercup, CVHS Police Therapy Dog

As sweet as she sounds! Castle Rock Police Department and the Douglas County School District are proud to introduce the newest team member of the Castle View High School (CVHS) family, Buttercup. Buttercup is a 2-year-old Golden Retriever-Sheltie mix who joins School Resource Officer (SRO) Scott Gillespie in his duties at the school.

Buttercup, a licensed therapy dog, joins CRPD after completing six months of training with the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office “Paws and Stripes College” in Florida. That was followed by a 40 hour Law Enforcement Investigative Therapy Dog Course through United K9, a national therapy dog certification agency. Together, Officer Gillespie and Buttercup hold three different national certifications as a therapy dog team.

Buttercup’s services will aid police in a very crucial time, as students in the Town of Castle Rock and Douglas County School District have faced the negative impacts of the pandemic and its lasting effects on their academic studies, social life and mental health. Because SROs are often tasked in assisting in mental health incidents with students, Officer Gillespie and Buttercup are in the perfect position to serve as an additional resource to students and staff.

After her recent introduction to the campus, CVHS Principal Dr. Rex Corr commented he had noticed a tangible change in the attitudes of numerous staff members and students who had interacted with Buttercup.

“While we as a school community certainly expected positive results bringing Buttercup into service at Castle View, the reality has surpassed our expectations,” Dr. Corr said. “Students are drawn to this dog in a very special way, and one can quickly observe barriers melt away. She is quickly becoming a very important part of the Sabercat family. I am grateful to Officer Gillespie for all of his work making this program possible for CVHS.”

One of the stated goals of the Douglas County School District SRO program is utilizing school-based officers to create an open dialogue between local law enforcement and students, families and staff members. The addition of Buttercup will assist Officer Gillespie in creating an accessible environment around him as an SRO, and will help in developing positive relationships between him and the various parties in the school setting.

“Therapy dogs in law enforcement settings have assisted police officers in processing traumatic events, managing stress and limiting the impact of job related tensions,” Officer Gillespie said. “Now that we’re combining these benefits and putting them in a school setting, we’re looking forward to seeing Buttercup help students who struggle with anxiety and depression, improve the environment around emergency drills, assist in traumatic incidents and generally be a conduit for an increase in positive interactions between students, teachers, staff and law enforcement at CVHS.”

Buttercup and Officer Gillespie will be the first SRO-therapy dog pair in the state of Colorado. Interventions will take place in designated areas only in order to be sensitive to those with allergies or fears, and to mitigate any accidental exposure. The police therapy dog and SRO team has been insured for liability.

Buttercup immediately demonstrated her capabilities soon after she walked through the doors of CVHS. In just one hour of work on her first day, she provided support to three different students who were brought to the SRO while experiencing varying levels of distress. After spending time with her, all three students were able to return to class to finish out their school day, and Officer Gillespie was able to gather the information he needed to deal with the different incidents. Buttercup’s presence also aided an additional student in opening up to Officer Gillespie about a difficult situation she had not disclosed for 10 years. This led to some collaborative problem-solving and started the student on the path to healing from the trauma.

The Castle Rock Police Department and the Douglas County School District are proud to be the first in the state to pair a school resource officer with a therapy dog.

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In compliance with Titles VI & VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, and Colorado law, the Douglas County School District RE-1 does not unlawfully discriminate against otherwise qualified students, employees, applicants for employment, or members of the public on the basis of disability, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, religion, ancestry, or need for special education services. Discrimination against employees and applicants for employment based on age, genetic information, and conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth is also prohibited in accordance with state and/or federal law. Complaint procedures have been established for students, parents, employees, and members of the public. The School District's Compliance Officer and Title IX Coordinator to address complaints alleging sexual harassment under Title IX is Aaron Henderson, 620 Wilcox Street, Castle Rock, Colorado, [email protected], 720-433-1083.

Outside Agencies

Complaints regarding violations of Title VI, (race, national origin), Title IX (sex, gender), Section 504/ADA (handicap or disability), may be filed directly with the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, 1244 North Speer Blvd., Suite 310, Denver, CO 80204. Complaints regarding violations of Title VII (employment) and the ADEA (prohibiting age discrimination in employment) may be filed directly with the Federal Office of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 303 E. 17th Ave., Suite 510, Denver, CO 80202, or the Colorado Civil Rights Commission, 1560 Broadway, Suite 1050, Denver, CO 80202.

NOTICE OF DESTRUCTION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION RECORDS

Special Education records which have been collected by Douglas County School District related to the identification, evaluation, educational placement, or the provision of special education in the district, must be maintained under state and federal laws for the period of five (5) years after special education services have ended for the student. Special education services end when the student is no longer eligible for services, graduates, or completes his/her educational program at age 21, or moves from the district. This notification is to inform parents/guardians and former students of Douglas County School District's intent to destroy the special education records of students who exited special education services as of June 30, 2016. These records will be destroyed in accordance with state law unless the parent/guardian or eligible (adult) student notifies the school district otherwise. After five years, the records are no longer useful to the district, but may be useful to the parent/guardian or former student in applying for social security benefits, rehabilitation services, college entrance, etc. The parent/guardian or eligible (adult) student may request a copy of the records by requesting the records at this link ( Douglas County School District Transcripts and Records Requests ).