DOGS

A glaring difference between service and therapy dogs is the level of access they each have to public spaces. For example, pet friendly hotels aren’t allowed to charge a guest extra for bringing a service dog with them, and hotels that prohibit pets aren’t allowed to deny access to service dogs or separate them from their owner. However, pet friendly hotels may charge an extra fee to guests bringing a therapy dog with them, and hotels that prohibit pets are allowed to deny access to therapy dogs.

You might wonder why every college and/or university doesn’t implement a therapy dog program. Unfortunately, a few setbacks and concerns have stopped schools and universities from joining these programs now or in the future. The first concern is cost. Training and good maintenance must be considered prior to joining a therapy dog program. Both the dog and its handler need to be trained and the dog must remain healthy. Additionally, cooperation and assistance from administration and staff is essential, as well as making sure that the dog is still being treated ethically and is not being overworked in any setting. Frontiers notes, “a lack of knowledge as well as resistance amongst other staff due to various reasons during the phases of therapy dog planning and implementation is also another challenge which handlers need to navigate.”

A second concern is allergies. Many people are mildly to severely allergic to dog fur. Having therapy dogs frequently in a school or college setting could disrupt their quality of learning. A third concern –and a pretty common one – is sanitation. It’s often insinuated that dogs may carry disease or illness that may be transferred to humans or other animals. But do these risks outweigh the plethora of benefits that therapy dogs offer? Only time will tell.

Therapy dogs themselves have many positive effects on people. However, there’s something extra special about Rune and Thor. Rune and Thor have bridged a gap between students, peers and CSUPD. Having these two lovable furballs around campus has undoubtedly increased serotonin levels and given students an opportunity to interact with both the dogs and their handlers.

Rune and Thor also serve as “placeholders” for some students who may be homesick or missing family or pets. These dogs offer a sense of calm and reassurance. They create a sense of belonging in communities and schools alike.

The implementation of therapy dogs at CSU has been a wonderful way to bring together the campus community and create an inexplicable level of joy. Rune and Thor have made an important impact on CSU and have certainly lived up to their namesake “man’s best friend.”