“Bridget,” a five-month-old guide dog being trained for service, has become an unofficial classroom mascot at Green Mountain Elementary.

But due to concerns about liability and conflicts with school policy, the dog’s trainer, teacher Cindy Jaquay, was told she needed to remove the yellow Labrador Retriever from her classroom.

Jaquay brought the matter up to the Central Kitsap School District board last week and asked them if school policy could be changed to allow dogs-in-training to remain at the school.

The board will discuss the matter again at their Dec. 10 meeting.

Jaquay volunteered to socialize Bridget and other service dogs in training for the non-profit Guide Dogs of America program.

“This is the ninth year I’ve been bringing a dog-in-training to school on a daily basis,” Jaquay told the board.

“In all that time there has never been an incident of any sort involving the dogs.”

“I was shocked to be told I could not have a dog at school any more,” she said.

The dog is in class every day and never was a problem, she said. The dog benefits from the social exposure and the students benefit as well, she said, as they learn how to act around service dogs and also learn about people who have disabilities.

Jaquay said she had a certificate of liability insurance from Guide Dogs of America which covers dogs like hers.

Several people spoke in support of the dog.

Fellow Green Mountain teacher Ann Sveen said she’s worked next door to Jaquay for the last nine years.

“There has never been any incident of any kind that has been negative coming from these dogs,” Sveen said.

“One of the things that we talked about at Central Kitsap this year is student engagement. I cannot think of a better example of an engaging thing to have in your classroom,” she said.

Dawn Fish said Jaquay set a good example for volunteering for the students. Fish said her daughter was upset at the idea of the dog being taken from the class.

“I didn’t know if any parents would come and tell you that we like the dog. We want the dog to stay,” Fish said.

Leigh Hampton said the dog was not a distraction.

“The dog brings a smile to kids’ faces … she brings a joy and a lightness,” Hampton said.

Hampton’s daughter, Ursula, is a former student of Jaquay and said her class learned to really care for the dog.

“It’s sort of like our little Green Mountain mascot,” she said.