Every week, Ursinus College hosts the Comfort Caring Canines therapy dogs around campus. These sweet and friendly dogs are not only here to cuddle with students, but also to help promote well-being on campus.
Poppy Louise is one of the therapy dogs from Comfort Caring Canines and is a ball of energy! She just turned one and has been working as a therapy dog for only a month. Risa Roland, Poppy’s owner, was inspired by her personal experience with a therapy dog when she was pregnant: “When I was pregnant with my oldest kiddo, I was on bedrest. A man came in with a therapy dog, and I hung out with the dog, and it was wonderful. When we first got Poppy, she was a very sweet pup, and I thought she might be good at this!” So, Poppy started on training and certification.
Roland explained the process to become a certified therapy dog: “You have to take a test—a training and temperament test to ensure that she’s nice and comfortable with people petting her. You have to be able to leave her and she stays.” But even as a certified therapy dog, Poppy is still just a puppy. She’s super energetic and sweet! The second I walked into the room, she wanted to be pet and played with.
Since becoming a certified therapy dog, Poppy has been working hard! “[With Poppy,] I’ve been to Ursinus, a couple middle schools, and the Philadelphia Family Court. When she’s a little older and less wiggly, she might get to go into court with them!” Roland explained.
Poppy isn’t the only therapy dog that comes to Ursinus. Every week, three to four dogs of all different breeds, sizes, and personalities come to hang out with students. This year, the Wellness Center and Comfort Caring Canines have created collectable cards of the therapy dogs, so make sure you pick one up when you visit these precious and loving dogs, and try to collect them all! You can meet them in the Bear’s Den on Thursdays, 7–8 p.m. Also, make sure to follow @Ursinus_therapydogs on instagram to get the most current schedule and profiles of all the dogs!