On any given day, you may see dogs around campus in orange vests; well, these cuddly canines happen to be employees of the University. From its beginning in fall 2013, Pete’s Pet Posse has quickly become a staple of Oklahoma State University. The pets and their handlers can be found in their various places of work around campus throughout the year.
As you may know, the Pet Therapy program was created with the intent of bringing joy and puppy breath to the people of OSU. Research shows the presence of therapy animals can be significantly beneficial to humans, which is why the goal of the Pet Therapy program is to positively enhance physical and emotional health on campus as well as contribute to OSU’s America’s Healthiest Campus® initiative.
There are currently 28 dogs in Pete’s Pet Posse, each with their own personality and energy. These four-legged friends are given custom information cards for their handlers to give out to visitors. We could share a photo of our card collection, but you will just have to visit Pete’s Pets to see them for yourself.
We recently had the opportunity to hear from a handler in the pet therapy program.
Joy Fieldsend and her miniature schnauzer, Sophie, work in the OSU Alumni Association. Joy got Sophie as a puppy and knew right away that she had the loving nature and friendly personality of a therapy dog.
Their most touching moment as a pet therapy team was early on in their Posse career. On a typical day at the Student Union, Joy and Sophie encountered a young woman who was visibly stressed. Joy later learned how much it had meant to the girl that Sophie had been there that day. Their session had given her a reason to smile and carry on during a stressful time.
“It made me realize the work we do on a daily basis is so important,” Joy said. “We may not know it at the time but the impact we have on the well-being of the students is huge.”
Many students admit to checking the Pete’s Pets’ social media accounts to see where the dogs will be located on campus each day, especially during the final weeks of each semester. Sessions with therapy animals have been proven to decrease stress, anxiety and depression. The animals can also provide comfort and encourage communication. These benefits are vital to OSU students with final exams and projects looming overhead.
“It is so important that Pete’s Pet Posse is visible around campus during finals week,” Joy said. “You can see the stress just fall off the students while they are petting the dogs.”
There is no doubt that therapy animals are helpful during times of stress. Junior strategic communications major, Lucky Coffey, is an avid supporter of Pete’s Pet Posse. She loves how the therapy dogs work at different places across the university.
“It immediately brightens my day whenever I see any of the dogs around campus,” Lucky said.
Coffey especially enjoys visiting with the dogs at the weekly events in the OSU Library. Pete’s Pets visit every week for Mutt Day Mondays 12-1p.m., Yappy Hour on Tuesdays 6-7p.m. and Waggin’ Wednesdays 2-3p.m. Members of the Posse will also be visiting the OSU library Monday-Thursday of finals week from 4-5p.m. for Finals Fuzzies.
The Pet Therapy program is able to continue doing great work because of the generosity of Merial, Purina and HomeAgain, which provide each of Pete’s Pets with medication, food and a microchip. OSU therapy dogs wear orange working vests with badges that read “Therapy Dog” and “Ask to Pet Me.” They also wear a Pete’s Pet Posse collar and matching leash.
Useful reminder: Therapy dogs are not service dogs. Therapy dogs, like Pete’s Pets, are trained to interact with many people; whereas, service dogs are trained to help one person and should not be distracted from their duties. Regardless, it is wise to always ask before touching an animal wearing a vest.
Tell us about your favorite encounter with a therapy animal in the comment section below.
