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Paws On Campus! Paws On Campus! Paws On Campus! Paws On Campus!
from March 2023
WRITTEN BY
Andrea Brazis
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DESIGNED BY Naliyah DeJesus
From the day our four-legged friends stepped foot on our campus, they’ve been loved and adored by everyone. Rune and Thor are brother yellow lab therapy dogs from Lewis Center, Ohio, owned and cared for by CSU’s Police Department (CSUPD). These two have had their fair share of public appearances at CAB events, athletic games and meets and other random places on campus throughout the week. Rune is currently partnered with CSUPD officer Toni Jones and Thor is partnered with CSUPD officer Thomas Lear.
Rune is what some might call the “day guard,” as he makes his campus appearances during the morning and early afternoon. Thor is the “night guard,” he makes his appearances in the evenings, when campus is a little less crazy.
The demand for mental health counseling on campuses is constantly increasing and therapy dogs seem to be an alternative solution.
On average, there are about 300 law enforcement agencies in the nation that include therapy dogs into their programs. Research shows that therapy dogs have many positive effects on people including enhancing socio-economic development, reducing stress and anxiety and improving energy levels, among many other things. Simply petting a dog has been shown to decrease blood pressure and heart rate, as well as lower levels of stress hormones and increase levels of oxytocin. “Dogs offer a unique type of social support, as they can provide unconditional affection in a way that humans sometimes cannot,” said Lauren Powell, a postdoc at the School of Veterinary Medicine, in an article by Penn Today. Therapy dogs offer a variety of cognitive, socioemotional and learning benefits for students across the United States.
