Many universities – including the University of Louisville – are finding new ways to support students and one particularly soothing strategy has undergraduate and graduate students reporting ”paws-itive” mental health benefits: therapy dogs. 

UofL often brings in puppies for stress relief events during finals week. And the UofL Police Department got its latest comfort dog, Lily, in spring 2025. Since then, Lily and her handler, patrol officer Jacob Robinson, have become some of the most welcome faces across campus. Lily is a certified Crisis Response/Therapy K9 and she loves cuddles. 

“Some of our most cherished relationships are those that we have with our dogs. They listen without judgment, and they calm and comfort us just by being present,” said professor Jessica Eggleston, who teaches an urban studies course at UofL titled “Dogs in Society: An Interdisciplinary Examination of the Human-Canine Connection.” 

Two recent studies further examined the role of dogs on college campuses. A  recruited 145 first-year students, all of whom had left a beloved pet at home, and randomly assigned them to either several sessions with therapy dogs throughout the semester or to the control group. The results? The therapy dog group reported significantly lower rates of stress, depression and anxiety than the control group. 

��DzԲ����ܱ�Գٱ���,�� found that students from all levels can benefit from engagement with therapy dogs – not only homesick first-year students, but also graduate students who tend to be excluded from campus activities and services. At the end of the study, grad students reported feeling less stressed and happier. 

Eggleston says there’s a scientific reason therapy dogs help improve students’ mental health and it’s all about a long-standing relationship. 

“Dogs have been active human partners for over 15,000 years, with some scholars suggesting the relationship has been closer to 40,000 due to archaeological evidence,” she said. During that time, dogs have picked up on human context, she added, making them special in the animal world. 

“The capacity to recognize these social stimuli or cues is unique to canines; even our non-human primate cousins are unable to pick up on these cues like pointing, nodding, reaching for objects and more,” Eggleston said. “The history of our relationship with these animals lends itself to a unique connection between the species.” 

Eggleston saw that relationship play out in her own classroom, with her own very good pup, her black lab, Oliver, who got a boost from her students.

“On more than one occasion, I looked up and noticed a student laying on the floor with my dog, Oliver,” she said. “Oliver passed away in July after a long battle with an immune-mediated disease but I think the best years of his life were spent in urban and public affairs being adored by students.”

For college students and dogs alike, a little puppy love goes a long way. 

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By Maria Arteaga Mendoza

When Rhonda Buchanan, a professor of Spanish and LALS director, and her husband Bob Buchanan, a professor of Chemistry and Arts and Sciences associate dean of Research, adopted Jake, they knew they wanted to bring him to campus as a therapy dog. He passed his final certification tests on June 28, 2019, and happily accepted the task at hand – to bring comfort to anyone he encounters. 

Before the university transitioned to remote and hybrid learning, Jake’s days were full of visits from students, faculty and staff. 

“I noticed when I got him and started bringing him to work with me, students came to see me much more often – and I know for a fact it was more to see him,” Rhonda Buchanan said. “I mean, how many times can they come to see me for advising, right?”

There was a steady stream of people coming in to the LALS resource center in Stevenson Hall where students had treats, coffee, tea and visits from Jake as they studied. His presence created an opening for students who may not have otherwise sought help to come in and ask questions. 

“Jake is one of my favorite parts of the program,” said Alarah Gillum, a third-year LALS major and LALS student assistant. “When I’ve had a stressful day or I’ve had a lot of work, it just brightens my day to see Dr. B and get some love from Jake.” 

The jingling of the tags on Jake’s collar as he trots through the halls of Stevenson is usually a clear indicator that someone’s day is about to get a little bit better.

“Jake brings such a sense of joy to students. [He’s] always happy to see you and always has a tail wag and lots of kisses,” said Jan Rayburn, an administrative specialist with Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies. “The last year it’s been really lonely and I miss him a lot.” 

As a bit of a social butterfly, the past year has been hard on Jake, too. Just as students, faculty and staff benefit from Jake, he benefits from them. 

“I think [the pandemic] has really affected him because I was doing more remote teaching,” Buchanan said. “Recently, when things lifted up a little more I started bringing him back in. I think he notices the difference because he truly enjoys meeting new people when we walk across campus.”

When Buchanan is teaching in person, she often brings Jake along to greet her students for a few minutes before class, but even when a lesson is virtual or he isn’t able to make an in-person appearance, his photos are sprinkled throughout the professor’s slideshows.

On a typical day, Jake makes classroom appearances, joins Buchanan for office hours, checks in with friends like Alarah and Jan and relaxes in the LALS tranquility garden. One of the most exciting parts of the day, though, is walking to and from the car. That’s when he gets to do his favorite thing – meet new people. 

Needless to say, Jake is looking forward to seeing more students as they come back to campus. He welcomes everyone – not just members of the LALS program – so, if you see him walking around with his “pet me” harness, be sure to make his day and offer him some love.