Students feeling the weight of midterms found relief in the LSU Library Tuesday when therapy dogs from Human Animal Therapy Services made their highly anticipated visit.
The therapy dog visits are a regular treat during midterms and finals, with HATS partnering with LSU to bring them to campus twice each semester.
“We enjoy coming out here because it’s kind of our home,” said Diana Sylvester, director of HATS. “The students love it. It’s a de-stress day.”
The dogs’ ability to remain calm makes them ideal for soothing both patients and students, offering comfort in high-stress environments like midterms week at LSU.
“The dogs can handle a lot of stress,” Sylvester said. “They visit hospitals, that’s their main job. So they’re pretty bombproof as we like to call it.”
One dog, Jeaux, even sported an official employee name tag from Our Lady of the Lake Hospital, where she also works as a therapy dog. “I don’t know if she has any authority, or can open any doors,” joked Jeaux’s handler, Carol Crain, “but they are cute, aren’t they?”
Crain explained that all therapy dogs and handlers are trained and qualified through the national organization, Pet Partners.
“They do the testing on the dogs,” Crain said. “We have to take an online course and have both ourselves and the dog evaluated to make sure temperament is correct and that they’re friendly dogs.”
One of the crowd favorites was Lincoln, a Bernese Mountain Dog who’s been a therapy animal since 2022. Lincoln’s favorite activities include playing chase and chewing on bones, but don’t let his goofy demeanor fool you – he’s also a champion show dog.
With their next visit already planned for finals week, students can look forward to seeing their furry friends again, ready to lift spirits and make the tough exam week a little easier.
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