BLACKSBURG, Va. – Students are heading back to the classroom in schools and universities across the region, and one local university has some furry friends to ease first-day stress.
Virginia Tech therapy dogs, Josie, Derek, and Wagner, are helping to relieve some back-to-school stress for students and faculty on campus this year, Tech said.
Recommended Videos
Tech said that a University Libraries digital literacy and multimedia production librarian, Kelsey Hammer, has been combining efforts with the VT therapy dogs, especially in the Newman Library.
Hammer said that the university holds events to help connect students to the dogs, making way for improved mentality across the board.
“Many of our dog events this year have centered on principles that so many of our collaborators share including wellness, celebration, and gratitude,” said Hammer.
Tech said that the dogs support students in finding joy, space, and support on campus and that studies show petting a dog or other animal can increase the hormone oxytocin, which causes feelings of calmness and contentment.
Having a furry friend by your side can also decrease cortisol levels, which lowers anxiety and stress, according to the release.
The release said that the University Libraries has teamed up with the therapy dogs for a wide variety of events, including Pops and Pups, dog birthday parties, 3D-printed dog-themed driveways, and Newman Library’s classroom dedication to the therapy dogs.
During the spring final season in May, leaders held a VT Therapy Dogs Skills Showcase which celebrated National Therapy Animal Day, according to the release.
VT said the event highlighted the dogs’ talents, and students got the opportunity to watch them demonstrate their impressive helping skills, like giving a hug or comforting someone upset.
“We also set up a huge smorgasbord of snacks and encouraged students to take handfuls!” said Hammer. “This was during finals and we know that can be a time where you might forget to eat or need an extra pick me up. Students had a ball!”
But student wellness and awareness didn’t stop with the therapy dogs.
Tech said that during the VT Therapy Dogs Skills Showcase, students were able to share personal wins and growth on the Wall of Progress, which is an art project created in collaboration with Hokie Wellness.
“We came together around a student idea to show off how fantastic our dogs are, celebrate them, and connect through growth rather than perfection,” said Rami Steinruck, resident in psychology, coordinator of groups, and an active member of the Animal Assisted Therapy Team.
Steinruck went on to express the positive impact dogs have on on-campus students.
“These dog events offer something unique at a time students may need it most,” said Steinruck. “Students work hard all semester and they are stressed. Offering them a time to connect and reduce stress is very beneficial. The energy at these events is awesome! Most of all, I hope the students feel loved, included, valued, and cared for!”
And Tech leaders said that the dogs aren’t just comforting and fun, they bring the campus community together.
“The dogs have such a great way of centering folks and helping create connections, and it just branches out from there,” Hammer said. “You can see people meeting new friends, getting connected, and sharing joy with others.”
When students leave home, they sometimes leave their furry friends behind, the release said, but the therapy dogs help to fill that missing hole.
“We strive to be out and about on campus as much as we can. The therapy dogs are like your dogs away from home!” said Steinruck.
“Like the dedication plaque in classroom 207A says, ‘Never alone. Never without support,’ we want students to know that there are folks on campus who want to help in big ways and small,” said Hammer. “Hopefully these events are a way students can meet each other, find many different types of support, and also just have fun!”
Starting on Thursday, Tech said the Special Collections and University Archives will host a new exhibit to honor the memory of Moose, a therapy dog that passed in 2020.
Tech said the exhibit will continue through September 29, and that Moose’s handler, Trent Davis, will donate some of Moose’s memorabilia to Special Collections and University Archives to be displayed in the exhibit windows.
You can learn more about Tech’s therapy dogs here.