Why are therapy dogs coming just now coming back to campus?

Lead Counselor, Candice Detlefsen: “When we reached out to the organization we used to work with, they said they now charge for their therapy dogs to come out and it was a very high prohibitive cost that we can’t really fulfill. It took some time to find an organization that was willing to do this completely on volunteer time on their own time to come out and work with us.”

Do you think the amount of people attending this PIT takes away from the purpose of the therapy dogs?

Student Council Executive President, Rebecca Tang: “I don’t think so, and I think that defeats the purpose of making it accessible to all students. I think that even if there’s a lot of people there, what the people are focused on is the dog. Everyone’s really respectful with each other and they take turns petting the dogs, so I don’t think that numbers are as big of a problem. Since the students that go are pretty respectful, they don’t overwhelm the dogs and the handlers, and the handlers understand the dogs well.”

What excites you about therapy dogs coming to campus?

Detlefsen: “I see students who sometimes have a hard time coming out of their shell, and sometimes when they interact with the dog, they just light up and their whole demeanor changes. You can see that bit of relief and happiness on a student’s face, so I’m just excited to see more of that.”

How do you think therapy dogs will improve students’ mental health?

Detlefsen: “Research has shown that there’s a reduction in stress and anxiety in humans and that some of the negative stress hormones decrease when interacting with animals. I think that having a furry little friend who gives you unconditional positive love back is a great thing.”