On a hot Monday afternoon in March, I spent thirty minutes wandering around campus like a lost freshman, searching desperately for my interviewee. It took me a minute of scanning campus to spot Mille, the giant black and white dog, across the walkway, tail wagging and tongue hanging out as she was pet by excited students.
Millie, a three-year-old Landseer Newfoundland, is one of two therapy dogs who regularly visit Union. Millie is certified by the Alliance of Therapy Dogs. In order to be certified, the dogs require obedience training, shots and, after 50 official visits, they become full-fledged therapy dogs.
“Any dog can do it,” Millie’s owner, Allison Warren, said. “Any dog with the right temperament.”
Newfoundlands are gentle giants, friendly and calm. Sometimes referred to as “Nanny Dogs,” they’re known for being good with kids and extremely sociable.
“She’s a really sweet dog, and she enjoys attention,” Warren said.
Union has had its therapy dog program for about 8-10 years. Two dogs — Millie and Izzy — alternate visiting campus every other Monday. They sit outside the dining hall in the Student Union Building or in the Bowld Student Commons, waiting to be visited by anxious, stressed college students.
“What we had in mind was, number one, students will have the gift of being able to enjoy a dog who’s been trained to provide care and comfort,” Tamarin Huelin, director of counseling services, said.
The therapy dogs can be a familiar presence for students who come from homes with dogs and a new, exciting presence for those who have never owned a dog before.
“Therapy dogs are certainly trained to work, and that work for the dog involves being a calm presence,” Huelin said. “I’ve seen faculty even asking me, ‘The dog is here today, right?’”
As Warren and I sat down to talk, Millie munched on an apple, sniffing for more even after she had finished licking up the last few crumbs.
“She puts people at ease,” Warren said.
I could imagine someone watching Millie from afar — maybe even someone who’s normally afraid of dogs — and finding the confidence to approach. After seeing her in action — watching her sit calmly and contentedly as students pet her — I wondered how much of an impact therapy dogs can have.
Millie visits a range of places, helping bring joy and calm in the midst of struggle. Some days, she visits the Kirkland Cancer Center, letting patients spend time petting her.
“They’re sitting there going through cancer treatment, and then a dog comes by, and it brings a smile and a laugh for just a minute and brightens their day while they’re going through something terrible,” Warren said.
Still, Millie’s favorite visits are with kids. At the STAR Center, Millie works with kids, sitting and listening to them read as they develop their skills.
The visits are the exciting part. For Millie, the real challenge is grooming. Her thick, long fur can get matted, and every time she prepares for a visit, she has to be freshly groomed.
“In my case, it’s just a little bit more work, but it’s worth it,” Warren said.
For Warren, this is also a ministry opportunity.
“I’ll just pray on the way and say, ‘Let me meet who I need to meet today,’” Warren said. “A lot of times, after the visit, I’ll be like, ‘It was that person.’”
She even hands out cards with blessings from Scripture. She handed me one — Numbers 6:24-26 quoted on the back alongside a painting of Jake, Millie’s grandpa.
“I’ve had somebody come out of a hospital room when I was with Jake and say, ‘I just lost my best friend, and she had that type of dog growing up,’” Warren said.
Millie, with her little red vest and bandana, offered a smile — tongue out as she blinked up at me with big brown eyes. Her bandana was half hidden by her fur, bits of apple hanging off the ends.
“If I start to get her stuff out, she’s ready to go,” Warren said.
And so, she was.
After spending half the interview petting Millie and letting her lick my knee, I didn’t want to say goodbye. Seeing Millie made me miss my own dog back home, but I was happy I got to meet her, even if it was only for a few minutes. Millie’s peaceful demeanor and gentle behavior were certainly a nice change of pace from a hectic week. It was as though some of her calmness transferred to me as I pet her freshly groomed fur.
