Crossing guard dog 'fired' by school district

Patches the crossing guard dog is no longer allowed out at the crosswalk while his owner Brad Curtis is on duty. Following a news report last week, Jersey Shore Area School District officials told their employee he can no longer have Patches outside at the crosswalk while he's working. The school district wants people to know this decision was made not because of Patches, but because it keeps everyone around the crosswalk safe.

Almost every day, crossing guard Brad Curtis is out with his big red sign and orange safety vest on the corner of Allegheny Street in Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania. But parents also expect to see something else when they reach the intersection. "Patches is missing," said Jersey Shore resident Amy Wampler. "We didn't see him this morning and we wondered why, and now he's not here." "We see the dog every day, every single day for almost two years now," said another resident.

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Curtis works for Jersey Shore Area School District. He usually took his 5-year-old Multipoo with him to work. Lyra Clark could see the dog from her shop. The pooch wore his own stop sign and safety vest. "People come by, even take pictures of him. Everybody likes him. He's a really nice dog." It seems almost everyone loves Patches, but school officials won't let the dog stay at the crosswalk because it's against school policy.

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Jersey Shore Area School District officials say that employees who monitor the crosswalks didn't previously know about Patches. No one had ever reported the dog to the school. The school district's superintendent said: "We have clear policies in the school district regarding any type of animal during the work day. Yes, he is a cute, adorable pet. The bottom line: there are always unanticipated risks with an animal. Any known distraction needs to be removed." Curtis the crossing guard says he plans to continue his job without Patches.