I’ve had such a fun night already and it’s only just after 8:00! Tonight after finishing volunteer training at the nearby West Middle School to become certified to tutor students in their after-school tutoring program, I came back to campus to find that the therapy dogs had arrived!
Starting this year, for two days a week during the month of September, McDaniel’s Wellness Center has been bringing therapy dogs to come to campus to help students, especially first year students, to meet some furry friends and cope with homesickness.
Having dogs of my own, I know that it’s tough to be away from them, so I was thrilled to finally have a chance to see and spend time with the therapy dogs tonight. (Especially after a rough week of homework!)
I met six beautiful and loving dogs. First, I met Lucy and Hailey, a black lab and a golden doodle, outside of Rouzer, the freshman boys’ dorm right by my residence hall, DMC. After spending a good chunk of time with them, I went to Kriel Lounge, which is right by Glar, our dining hall to meet the other four dogs. One of them, Lola, a mellow yet friendly Boston terrier, climbed right into my lap. She was such a sweetie and we had a lovely time together! I also had fun meeting Jake the Australian shepherd, Zeeva the Staffordshire bull terrier, and Shep the Great Pyrenees. (Can you tell I like dogs?) I also enjoyed socializing and talking about dogs with their owners.
Though the therapy dogs will only be coming through September, you’ll still be able to find dogs on McDaniel’s campus throughout the year. We have a club called Canine Companions for Independence, more commonly known as Puppy Club, which works to train service dogs. Their current dog is a black lab named Hudson, who can be seen at various campus and Puppy Club-sponsored events. He’s the only dog allowed to live on campus, and the Puppy Club has their own affinity housing—housing for people of a particular club or common interest—that they share with Hudson.
Also, when the weather’s nice, you might run into people from the Westminster community walking their dogs on campus. I never know what type of dog I’m going to meet, and it’s fun to take a moment to say hi!
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