LEXINGTON, Va. (WDBJ/VMI Release) – The chaplain’s office at Virginia Military Institute has welcomed a new staff member, a facility dog named CAVU. VMI says facility dogs assist people to cope after traumatic events or overly stressful environments.
CAVU’s occupational specialty is to assist the Institute chaplain in “bringing morale, welfare, and care to cadets, especially those who are faced with upsetting news or painful issues, like the death of a family member.”
The two-year old golden lab was trained by Mutts With a Mission (MWAM), a nonprofit in Virginia Beach, and accredited through Assistance Dogs International. MWAM prepares service dogs for disabled veterans, first responders, and law enforcement.
VMI says facility dogs undergo the same rigorous training that service dogs go through, but instead of helping an individual with a disability, facility dogs ultimately help multiple people. They are often placed with police departments and courtrooms to assist with victims having to testify. Donations to MWAM fully cover the nearly $60,000 price tag of training each dog, so there is no cost to any recipient.
Col. John P. Casper ‘04, Institute chaplain at VMI, first learned of MWAM about a year and a half ago while he was associate chaplain, says VMI. Project Horizon hosted an event on post to bring awareness to victims of sexual assault, and brought its facility dog. “Seeing how the dog was interacting with everyone, and the impact it made at Project Horizon, I thought a dog like that could make a huge impact with cadets,” said Casper.
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