From everlasting study nights in Shannon Library to weekend work schedules and everything in between, Grounds has a way of grinding down even the strongest-willed students. To help students take a step back from assignments and ease anxiety, both Student Health and Wellness and the Maxine Platzer Lynn Women’s Center have enlisted new members of their teams — therapy dogs.
Combining mental health movements across the world with the age-old adage “man’s best friend,” therapy dog programs at the University offer students a way to unwind with therapeutically-trained canines. Extensive training programs, such as those by the Service Dogs of Virginia or Green Dogs Unleashed, equip these dogs with the skills to react calmly to high-stimulation environments, providing comfort to students in situations ranging from one-on-one therapy to drop-in meet-and-greets.
SHW began working with therapy dog teams in late 2022 following the Nov. 13 shooting. These canine companions were part of a broader effort to support student well-being through several stress-relief initiatives. After receiving positive feedback from students and staff, SHW decided to expand animal accessibility on Grounds by welcoming its own resident therapy dog, Madi, a six-year-old Labrador retriever mix. In addition to attending major mental health events, such as Wahoo Wellness Fest, Madi has standing “Pawffice Hours” in the SHW lobby on Mondays from 11 a.m. to noon.
Danielle D’Andrea Black, Director of Marketing and Communications at SHW, explained how therapy dogs like Madi play an important role on college campuses, as they make conversations about mental health and well-being more approachable.
“Interactions with a therapy dog often create a low-pressure entry point for students to connect with staff, ask questions and learn about available resources in an informal setting,” Black said in an email to The Cavalier Daily. “For students who may be unsure about or unfamiliar with our services, these brief welcoming moments can increase comfort with seeking support when they need it.”
Margaret Edwards, Trauma Counselor at the Maxine Platzer Lynn Women’s Center, echoed this sentiment. Edwards serves as the handler of the Women’s Center’s resident therapy dog — a black Labrador retriever named August. Edwards said August helps visitors relax and feel connected during counseling sessions, drop-in office hours and strolls around Grounds.
“College students need some life outside of academia,” Edwards said. “For people who are ‘dog people,’ it never fails to bring a smile to their face. It is a nice contrast to what is going wrong with the world to have things like this that are what’s going right.”
Before two-year-old August joined the Women’s Center last Fall, she underwent intensive training at Service Dogs of Virginia. Here, trainers are able to identify the roles for which each dog might be best suited based on their performance — which in August’s case, indicated strong therapeutic aptitude.
“They are trained in everything from picking things up off the floor for people to noticing if somebody’s blood sugar is low,” Edwards said. “The dogs that are really good at scent and focusing on one person usually become medical alert dogs. August is really well-rounded — if you start crying, she’ll bring you a tissue box. Anybody can touch her, and she won’t be reactive.”
A key aspect of August’s training as a therapy dog included teaching her how to calm people experiencing difficult emotions. For instance, August will lay her head on someone’s feet or lap if they want physical contact during counseling sessions, providing comfort during uncomfortable moments.
“There is almost nothing anyone could do that would make her react in an aggressive way, and she does not get anxious when other people are upset,” Edwards said. “That requires training a dog to be very relaxed even when there’s a lot of stuff going on because dogs are highly attuned to human emotions.”
Like August, Yukon, a five-year-old Labrador retriever and member of the visiting therapy dog team at SHW, also displays an easygoing temperament. His handler, Bonnie Falbo, said that he provides students with non-verbal physical comfort that is “unlike any other” during their frequent visits to the SHW lobby and at special events.
“Some students sit on the floor to hug him and pet him, and you can feel the soothing effect Yukon has on them,” Falbo said in an email to The Cavalier Daily. “Yukon’s responsibility is to show up happy, healthy and ready to ‘work,’ although for him, meeting people and giving love is not work at all. I call him a ‘love ambassador.’”
Third-year College student Mylo Haugh first met Yukon while tabling for the Cavalier Food Pantry. In an effort to increase foot traffic, the Food Pantry volunteers asked if Yukon would join the tabling team — a job he gladly accepted.
“The main attraction was Yukon,” Haugh said. “Normally, people will just walk by, but everyone stopped to say hi to him. We were able to get a couple of people to donate because of that.”
Nearly a decade before meeting Yukon, Haugh discovered that he had a love for therapy animals when a canine classmate became the highlight of his school days.
“Service and therapy animals are severely underutilized,” Haugh said. “When I was in sixth grade, my teacher had a therapy dog, and he would bring it on Fridays. Fridays were always the best day of the week, no matter whether [we] had an exam … just because the dog was there.”
Haugh said that he has always wanted to go to SHW’s “Pawffice Hours,” but scheduling conflicts with classes have prevented him from attending. Diversifying both time slots and locations of therapy dog events, he said, would be a worthwhile pursuit for SHW if they are looking to reach a greater number of students.
“Student Health and Wellness is kind of [far] out there for a lot of people,” Haugh said. “Having some therapy dogs on the Lawn, for example, would be very nice. I also think increasing the number of hours and available locations during midterm and final seasons is important because that’s when students are most stressed.”
The bustling, productivity-driven culture at the University is precisely why advocates like Edwards say students need these animals. A simple wag of a tail or friendly head nudge can be enough to get students to pause — or paws — a spiral of anxiety, providing key emotional care without even saying a word.
“U.Va is a wonderful, creative, competitive, busy place,” Edwards said. “U.Va. students go off and do great things in the world, but at this point in development, it is also really good to learn how to take care of yourself. Interacting with a dog gives you a little break from work. I think that’s good for people because a happy and productive life requires you to take care of your mental and physical health.”