The MU Paws program at Marshall uses therapy dogs to help students decompress and relax.

Arya’s, one of the MU Paws therapy dogs, handler, Stacy Whitmore, said the mission of the program is to help students destress and make people smile.

“We’re here to provide emotional support for all the students,” Whitmore said. “We have our own emotional support dogs, and we have them tested to become therapy dogs. The MU Paws dogs are therapy dogs for all the students, staff or anyone that wants to come to help them destress and have a good day, make them smile.”

Whitmore said her favorite part of being a member of MU Paws is seeing the effect it has on the people who come to see the dogs, as well as the outreach MU Paws does with the local community.

“I just love the happiness that it brings to everyone that comes to see her or pet her,” Whitmore said. “I enjoy that we outreach to the community, people in the community, elementary schools, middle schools and high schools can all reach out to MU Paws,” Whitmore said.

Robin Ash, handler of Isabella, another one of the MU Paws therapy dogs, said the dogs have to go through extensive testing to be certified as a therapy dog.

“They have to have basic manners, love to visit, be calm around a lot of noises and basically be able to be taken anywhere that they’re comfortable with,” Ash said.

Isabella is one of the dogs who has been involved with the MU Paws program the longest.

“Isabella is a Shetland Sheepdog, or they call them Shelties,” Ash said. “She had heart surgery when she had seven months old. She is a special little girl.”

Whitmore said she believes being part of MU Paws and constantly being around people helps Arya with her separation anxiety.

“Arya is a rescue dog, and she suffered from separation anxiety when we got her, so she just loves being around people,” Whitmore said. “I feel like it’s therapy for her to be around people as much as it is therapy for people to be around her.”

Similar to Whitmore, Ash also said seeing the effects of the therapy dogs on the students is the most rewarding part of being part of the program.

“We actually have students come up and say, ‘This is the best day of my life,’” Ash said. “Some days it’s overwhelming to hear how much having the dogs on campus helps them.”

Ash said the program is a major help for students who are away from their dogs for the first time after moving to college.

“Some of them, it’s the first year freshman who are away from home, and it’s the first time they’ve left their dogs,” Ash said. “It’s disheartening to have them be away from their dogs, so having the dogs here on campus that they can visit with is really special.”

Ashton Pack can be contacted at [email protected].