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On a short leash: Fredonia schools welcome therapy dog

Photo courtesy of Fredonia Central School District The Fredonia Central School District recently appointed Yost as a therapy dog. Yost is shown during his interview process with Superintendent Brad Zilliox.

At recent Board of Education meetings, Fredonia Superintendent Brad Zilliox has announced many new hires. He shares a list of the new employee’s qualifications and strengths, speaks about the interview process, and shares his excitement for what they can bring to the district.

None of that was out of the ordinary for another recent addition to the district that came up at the most recent meeting. What was out of the ordinary, however, is that the new addition Zilliox referred to this time happened to be a dog.

Yost, a certified therapy dog, has joined the Fredonia family after what Zilliox joked was an intense interview process.

“We had a good conversation about some of our regulations and some of the things we expect from any employee. Luckily, Yost was on board and responded very well to those questions. He was able to sneak through the interview process,” Zilliox said.

Board of Education President Brian Aldrich joked, “Did you interview him, or did he interview you?”

Zilliox responded, “Like any good interview, it was a combination of both.”

Yost is the first therapy dog at the district. Yost was rescued as a puppy from a shelter in Texas in the fall of 2020 by Northern Chautauqua Canine Rescue in Westfield. In January of 2021, he was adopted Fredonia sixth-grade teacher Tim Wright and his family. Fredonia is excited to welcome him to the family and to see his positive impact on students and adults in the district.

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