A Portland, Maine, school administrator has raised concerns about keeping dogs in classrooms as the district reviews its policy on classroom pets. The discussion followed a teacher’s request to foster puppies at Ocean Avenue Elementary School.
At an Oct. 14 policy committee meeting, Assistant Superintendent for Student, Family and Community Partnerships Dr. Abdullahi Ahmed said some Islamic traditions regard dog saliva as impure. He said he had consulted local Muslim religious leaders, who opposed having dogs kept as classroom pets.
The teacher hoped students could spend time with the puppies during reading and play. Ahmed suggested one possible accommodation: keeping the dogs in a separate room so students and families with religious objections would not have to be around them.
Ahmed emphasized that Muslim communities value animals and compassion for them. At the same time, he said, some Islamic traditions include concerns about ritual purity, and some people have had negative experiences with dogs.
Ahmed, who grew up in Somalia, speaks Somali, Arabic, English and Urdu, according to his district biography. He said the imams he consulted did not want dogs kept as classroom pets.
Committee members considered whether any policy change should apply only to dogs or cover other classroom animals as well. They also discussed possible opt-in or opt-out arrangements. No vote was held at the meeting.
Moms for Liberty co-founder Tina Descovich said dogs have been part of children’s lives in American schools for generations and described objections to classroom dogs as “silly.”
Ahmed and Superintendent Ryan Scallon had not responded to requests for comment.
