Paws for relief
Virginia Tech's therapy dogs ease student stress
On any given day at Virginia Tech, Derek flashes a goofy grin, Epcot offers a steady paw, and Josie leans in with quiet reassurance. Together, they’re more than therapy dogs — they’re campus celebrities with nearly 20,000 Instagram followers and a loyal fan base.
“These dogs can reach people in a way no one else, no human can,” said Trent Davis, coordinator for animal-assisted therapy and a licensed professional counselor at Cook Counseling Center. “As a counselor, I can do great work, but I cannot change the world or the environment of Virginia Tech. These dogs can change a lot and help in ways that are not possible even for the most educated, well-intentioned human.”
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Stress relief, one paw at a time
Students turn to the dogs during exam weeks, big transitions, and as they navigate the everyday stressors of university life. Before the pandemic, the team attended about 50 events a year. When COVID-19 shut down campus, they went virtual — hosting Instagram Live sessions where thousands tuned in just to watch the dogs chase a ball.
“We would get a thousand people on our Instagram Live, and it was stunning,” Davis said. “All we would do with the dogs is take them outside and throw the ball with them. It really made a difference.”
Since then, demand has soared. The team now hosts weekly “pawfice hours,” doggie birthday parties, walks, and academic events.
“It has simply exploded,” Davis said. “I have an event every other day, basically. We now do close to 300 events in an academic year. Our events doubled from a couple of years ago. The dogs have kind of maintained that number because we frankly can’t do any more.”
For junior Zena Soufi, those office hours are a lifeline.
“A lot of people come here, and they miss home,” she said. “At office hours, everyone’s welcome there. Everyone can relax and just pet a dog and kind of forget about their stress level. Everyone needs a break sometimes.”
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More than companions
Handlers watch for the dogs’ well-being while helping students connect. The dogs act as icebreakers, bridging communication gaps and easing tough conversations.
“I think they touch something that every human needs on some level,” Davis said. “It’s a universal thing that we need contact with nature, and we need contact with beings that really love us unconditionally. It’s hard to find that within the realm of humans.”
Abby Lynch ’24, student assistant for the animal-assisted therapy program and a graduate student studying human development, is Derek’s handler.
“One thing that’s really powerful is that students can find connection with each other and with us through the dogs,” Lynch said. “Students have a positive association with Derek, which means they have a positive association with me because I take care of him. Over time, they also get to know me as a person which turns into a positive association with Cook Counseling.”
These positive associations help students to be more comfortable with using the resources Cook Counseling Center offers. The program helps staff, too.
“One of the real benefits of the therapy dog program is actually for the staff, which helps reduce burnout because we’re in a high burnout field,” Davis said.
Moose: the legend
The therapy dog program at Virginia Tech began with Moose, a yellow Labrador retriever released from Guiding Eyes for the Blind due to a minor medical issue. Moose joined Davis in 2013 and became a campus legend.
“In 2018, we added two new dogs, and so our program tripled in size within a couple of weeks. Since then, we’ve had three full-time dogs,” Davis said.
Moose died in 2020, but his legacy lives on.
Josie joined the program in 2021, handled by psychologist Rami Steinruck. Epcot followed in 2023, handled by Davis himself. Lynch became Derek’s handler in 2024. They bonded quickly, however, building teamwork took time because Lynch isn’t Derek’s owner. The connection between handler and dog requires copious amounts of trust and time spent together. Together, the pups and handlers have become fixtures of campus life. To ensure that they are a predictable, reliable, and safe team, handlers and dogs must go through a training process offered by Pet Partners, an animal handling therapy program.
Davis has pursued additional education to glean even more knowledge and to sustain the campus program.
“I went to the University of Denver and got a graduate certificate through their social work college,” Davis said. “I learned a lot about animal behavior and how to recognize stress signals in animals, which helped tremendously.”
Davis has helped other universities, including Virginia Commonwealth University, build therapy dog programs. He also teaches Animal Assisted Counseling and Psychotherapeutic Interventions at Virginia Tech.
“We are already in the stages of planning how to sustain this program because I don’t want this just to be a memory,” Davis said. “I want it to be a legacy.”