There is something special about opening up your door and being greeted by an excited pup.
It’s a warmth that students who live on college campuses often miss.
But on March 28 in the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library, students got the chance to unwind and play with 17 dogs brought by their caretakers in Chapter 256 of Therapy Dogs International (TDI).
TDI is a volunteer group that organizes therapy dog visits to hospitals, nursing homes and schools. The goal is to brighten spirits and improve health.
The group will return during the week of final exams, making this the fourth year it has visited the USF St. Petersburg campus.
Delilah, a 2-year-old Australian Shepherd, made an on-campus appearance on March 28 in the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library. Delilah’s red bandana signifies her status as a TDI therapy dog.
Normally, the volunteer group doesn’t visit in the middle of the semester, but Associate Librarian Kaya Van Beynen says because the dog owners have enjoyed visiting the campus so much, they’ve asked to stop by more often.
Van Beynen said that roughly 60 to 150 students have come to past events.
“So far the visits have been a big success,” she said. “It’s even inspired some students to research the effects of therapy dogs.”
The therapy dogs are both mixed and pure-breeds that are trained and vetted by certified evaluators. Their TDI tags and red bandanas make the pups easy to distinguish.
“When they put on that bandana – their uniform – the dogs know they’re about to go to work,” said Linda Jones, who owns Lucy, a TDI therapy dog. “They know how they have to behave.”
Jones has been taking Lucy to the events for two years, and take one-on-one visits to the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System facility.
But, she said USFSP is one of their favorite locations.
“Each place is a completely different experience,” Jones said. “But, (Lucy) loves coming to the school, there are a lot of students and great energy.”
Students also appreciate the opportunity to visit with the dogs.
“I’ve done my rounds every time they’ve come here, ever since I started at the university,” said Taylor Singleton, an education major.
“I need my puppy fix.”
