Books and Barks; Comfort at the Library
By London Welch
Student Writer
A chorus of “awe’s”, giggles and a gentle murmur, fill the foyer of the GCC library when I enter. Half the crowd is bent over in a circle around our stars. The celebrities in question are certified Therapy Dogs, Logan and Cooper. Logan is an Australian Labradoodle, whose fur makes him look like a teddy bear, and is attended by his owner, Linda Rose. Cooper is a mix of American Staffordshire Terrier, American Pitbull and Labrador, with a rusty coat, joined by Linda Pessin.
The professionals wander from student to student, occasionally laying down for a few minutes, or taking a cue from their human counterparts to pose for a picture. Mostly, they just stand nearby, remarkably calm, leaning in for a pet or a calm pat, to any student who approached. A few times they seemed to go out of their way to meet a further back student, who seemed to need their comfort but seemed hesitant to navigate the crowd.
Linda Rose explained that not only are Cooper and Logan trained in specific therapeutic “enrichment techniques”, but they use these techniques to serve an array of clientele. She explained their schedules are full of events with the special needs community, first responders, airport travelers, and even judges and court personnel, from moral support to even joining grief counselors for these communities. When asked what she hopes people take away from these sessions, Rose replied, “A sense of calm. Comfort. Happiness. We feel like we’ve done that.”
Looking around at the serene joy in the room I would be compelled to agree. The dogs are great at calming anxiety, reducing stress, and giving the students a moment of mindfulness. Linda Pessin found herself retired three years ago and said that doing events with Cooper is what gives her fulfillment these days. “Seeing the renewed youthful energy and vigor in the students, is why we do this.”
With such a busy schedule, its hard to pin these celebrities down. Those lucky to attend the event were able to get trading cards of the boys, which included Logan’s Instagram account (Loving_Logan2021). For everyone else, the GCC library both their calendar and the GCC calendar as up to date as possible for their return. Keep an eye out and join them for a therapeutic cuddle.
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I really enjoyed reading this article because it did a great job showing how therapy dogs can positively affect students beyond simply providing a fun break from schoolwork. The description of Logan and Cooper immediately made the event easy to visualize, especially the way they calmly interacted with the students and even approached people who seemed hesitant to enter the crowd. I thought that detail was meaningful because it shows that the dogs may provide comfort even without students having to actively seek them out. I also found it interesting that Logan and Cooper work with a variety of groups, like first responders, travelers, and court personnel. Before reading this article, I mostly associated therapy dogs with personal support, so learning about their broader roles gave me a different perspective on animal-assisted support. I wonder if it would be interesting to include whether students have noticed changes in their stress or anxiety after spending time with the dogs. In the end, the article effectively captures the welcoming and calming atmosphere these dogs bring to campus.