On Tuesday nights at the Cathedral, therapy dogs are everybody’s pets

Junior Olivia Hallas sat cross-legged on the floor of the Cathedral Commons. Unlike the others… Junior Olivia Hallas sat cross-legged on the floor of the Cathedral Commons. Unlike the others students in the commons, who were seated at the wooden tables scattered around the room, her attention wasn’t held by assigned readings. Smiling, she sat between two dogs.

From 7 to 8 p.m. every Tuesday night, the first floor of the Cathedral of Learning is occupied by a blend of students and canines. Participating in an event that is part of the College Canine program, volunteers from the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society bring about 20 therapy dogs on campus to provide students and members of the public an opportunity to de-stress and socialize.

With both hands petting different dogs, Hallas balanced her attention between the canines and a conversation with the dogs’ owners.

“This is the best-kept secret on campus,” she said.

The Western Pennsylvania Humane Society first implemented the therapy dog program at Pitt eight years ago. After hosting the event outside of the William Pitt Union for two years, the program moved into the Cathedral. The group occasionally hosts the event outside of the Cathedral during warm weather.

Marsha Robbins, the director of humane education at the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society, said students frequently walk straight through the event because they don’t realize the animals are trained therapy dogs and are there to interact with people.

Maui, a 6-year-old poodle-Lebanese mix, is a senior member of the program and has accompanied Robbins to the Cathedral since the program moved into the building. Like many of the other dogs, Maui began her therapy training at 14 months old.

Maui and Robbins, like the other dogs and owners in the program, attended training classes at the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society and passed a comprehensive test to earn them certification from Therapy Dogs International (TDI). According to the TDI testing requirements brochure, the 15-step test includes portions such as “accepting a friendly stranger” and exhibiting calm “reactions to distractions.”

Robbins said that Maui and many of the other dogs are rescued animals, and while Maui was originally viewed as untrainable and out of control, she is now a “bad dog gone good.”

Through the certification course, the dogs are trained to handle loud noises, remain calm as countless unfamiliar people enter and exit an area, remain desensitized to adaptive equipment such as wheelchairs and remain multiculturally sensitive. Such skills allow the animals to adapt to the atmosphere of the University.

“You could be in a total funk and come here, not talk, and that’s totally fine because the dogs will wag their tails and love you anyway,” Robbins said. “Or you could come here in a total funk and they’ll take you right out of it with unconditional attention and affection.”

Dr. Tevya Zukor, Director of the University Counseling Center, said in an email that for students, any time of transition is a time of stress.

“For incoming freshmen, there is often a sense of excitement and anticipation about being away from home, possibly for the first time, and starting to live more independently. As exciting as it is, it can also be highly stressful,” he said. “Many students will be away from their closest friends and family. They will be adjusting to a new academic and personal environment without the usual support systems in their life.”

Engaging with the therapy dogs or participating in other programs offered to students may help incoming students to make the transition. Robbins said that valuable friendships are created through students’ interactions with the group and cited trends that students often pick their favorite dogs to visit each week.

“Many people find that being around animals has a calming effect on them,” Zukor said. “However, stress levels can also be reduced by connecting to new peers, exploring a new environment, and embracing the reasons these changes are occurring.”

Zukor said that students can also take advantage of other opportunities to help reduce stress, such as community programming provided for the residence halls, specific groups and workshops for stress management provided by the counseling center and various clubs focused on shared interests.

Some students dedicate portions of their weekly schedules to routinely visit the dogs, while others choose to wander in when they can find the time.

Senior Rachel LaMarco occasionally wanders up from the basement of the Cathedral — where she works in the Language Media Center — when she can find a few minutes to spare.

“When I first saw them last year, I was really confused why there were dogs everywhere,” she said. “But now I visit because they are your pets away from home, and they’re adorable.”

LaMarco said the program provides a nice stress reliever and acts as a positive distraction from the real reason that most people walk to the Cathedral in the evenings — to study.

Sophomore Isha Vasudeva originally attended the event after seeing a flier for the program and now chooses to occasionally stop by after her class finishes in the Cathedral. While she was originally surprised to see the dogs, Vasudeva said that she now expects them and that the animals provide a fun environment for those with or without pets at home.

“I don’t have a dog at home, but I feel like the people who do especially enjoy it,” Vasudeva said.

Pitt’s collection of therapy dogs even includes a bona fide celebrity. George, a 216 pound, 6-year-old Mastiff and senior member of the program, has acted as a trained therapy dog since he was 14 months old.

Amy Coglio, George’s owner, said that in addition to his duties as a therapy dog, he showed at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show, was crowned the No. 5 mastiff in the country in 2009 among a rank of competitive mastiffs for the year and holds titles as an international show dog champion.

Despite his pedigree and accomplishments, George spends his Tuesday evenings alternating between sitting up and lying on the Cathedral Commons floor, allowing all who enter the building to stop by and pet him.

Robbins said that some students may start school and find the new experience to be lonely, but it doesn’t have to be like that.

“So many freshmen come here to our program, and they make friends here,” Robbins said.