Pet Therapy

Student Health and Wellness is excited to host weekly Pet Therapy events!

Join us every Tuesday from 5 - 7 p.m. in the Cordial Storrs House!

We've also partnered with the The Benton to host Pet Therapy every first Thursday of the month!
Join us in The Benton from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m.

 

SHaW is ALSO hosting Pet Therapy at the Wellness Community located at the Troy/Shakespeare Residence Hall, Wellness Lounge, Floor 1. March 2 & 23, April 6 & 20 from 12 -1 pm.

Please note that Pet Therapy is provided on a volunteer basis. We cannot guarantee that dogs will be present the entire time.

Pet Therapy will resume January 16th for the 2024 Spring Semester.

Andy

Andy

Name:  Andy
Handlers:  Peter and Sandy
Age:  9
Breed:  Golden Retriever

Fun Facts:  Andy loves his job as a therapy dog and in his spare time he loves to hike and swim.  Andy is helping to determine the causes and help find a cure for canine cancer through his participation as a hero in the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study. He is also the Ambassador at the premier event, the New England Golden Jubilee and is a student at the Yale Canine Cognition Lab.

 

Benny

Benny

Name:  Benny
Handlers:  Jeanne
Age:  10
Breed:  Shih Tzu

Fun Facts: Benny loves everyone he meets, people of all ages and is always excited to do pet therapy. His very first visit was at UConn's Paws To Relax in 2016. He especially loves the back massages during his visits. He knows a couple of tricks and has earned a Novice Trick Dog Title. His favorite activity is playing with his 2 big golden retriever sisters Porsche and Martini. He loves car rides and his naps on the sofa with his big golden retriever brother, Fireball.

Follow on Instagram: @theadventuresof_benny

 

Shelby

Shelby Pet Therapy dog

Name:  Shelby
Handlers: Deb
Age:  2
Breed: Golden Retriever

Fun Facts: Shelby, whose registered name is "New Era Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," is just beginning her career in animal-assisted activities. She was raised for the first ten weeks of her life in the same household as fellow therapy dogs, Benny and Fireball, who she refers to as her uncles. So far her favorite places to visit are college campuses and her human grandmothers' senior living communities. She has a soft, ginger-colored coat that is perfect for chest and belly rubs. Shelby never met a tennis ball she didn't like. She's not so great at fetch because she refuses to hand over the ball once she catches it! She is quick to rip open any new toy that has stuffing or a squeaker, and enjoys a good romp with her brother, Tucker, who is 15 months younger but has the same biological parents. Besides Tucker, Shelby shares her home with her two human moms who are UConn alumni, her kitties Gracie and Jasper, and a pony named Lightning.

Grant

Grant

Name:  Grant
Handlers:  Peter and Sandy
Age:  6
Breed:  Golden Retriever

Fun Facts:  Grant loves his job as a therapy dog.  He is the scout for our daily hikes. He loves to hike, swim, ride waves, play ball, and dive! He is currently very busy training his young sister, is the lead canine organizer of the New England Golden Jubilee, and is a student at the Yale Canine Cognition Lab.

 

Finley

Finley

Name: Finley
Handler: Caroline
Age: 9
Breed: Labrador Retriever

Fun Facts: Finley’s favorite activities are walking in the woods, riding in the boat and napping in the sunshine. Her favorite snack is pizza crust! While Finley loves everyone, she especially loves young children and the 20-something crowd.

Instagram Handle: @finley_seneca_therapylabradors

 

Lady Juno

Juno

Name: Lady Juno
Handlers: Sherie
Age:  6
Breed:  Black and Tan Coonhound

Fun Facts: Lady Juno is a Black and Tan Coonhound that was rescued by Northeast Coonhound Rescue. I adopted her in 2019 and was told that she was an exceptional dog which I soon came to realize. I did not aspire at that time to have a therapy dog, or a READ dog, but Lady Juno seemed to be so empathetic and gentle that I felt this was her calling as a dog. Lady Juno had pups before I adopted her and I believe this experience helped her to be the gentle kind soul that she is. I hope that you will enjoy her company as I believe it is meant to be shared.

Mica

Mica

Name: Mica
Handler: Sue
Age: 6
Breed: Golden Retriever/Labrador/Shar Pei

Fun Facts: Mica loves everything she does including her time spent serving as a pet therapy dog. She hikes with her humans every day and nothing makes her happier than just hanging with those who want to show her a little attention. She is very good at dog tricks (sit, stay, roll over) so if you get a chance to meet her, do not be afraid to put her to the test. She is also very soft, so petting her head is a comfort for all involved. She is looking forward to getting back to meeting people after the past year of restrictions.

Follow on Instagram: @micaglenney

Millie

Millie

 

 

Name:  Millie
Handlers: 
Age:  3
Breed: Cocker/Terrier Mix

Fun Facts: Millie has to start her day with snuggles before going outside or eating breakfast. Millie notices all the happenings in the neighborhood - barking at the mail truck and letting us know that deliveries have arrived. Millie loves playing chase with her dog friends and she is often the fastest. If there are no other dogs to play with Millie likes to shred her stuffed animals. Millie patiently waits her turn for treats as she has two older canine siblings.

Oliver

2021Oliver

Name: Oliver
Handler: Jan
Age: 3
Breed: Boxer

Fun Facts: Oliver is an almost-two deaf boxer. He was adopted from a rescue in Tennessee, and had some difficult health issues for the first six months he was at our home. In spite of not feeling great, he still participated in running around the yard and farm with his two deaf sisters (Sophie and Lulu) and annoying his elder siblings (Lexi and Jaxon) as much as possible—skills he has perfected now that his health is good. His favorite food is everything—he loves to eat! And while he enjoys playing with toys, he prefers chase games with the rest of the pack. His special talent is snuggling! In spite of being the largest of the family dogs—he can squeeze into any available lap space—even if already occupied by one or two of his siblings.

Seneca

Seneca

Name: Seneca
Handler: Caroline
Age: 6
Breed: Labrador Retriever

Fun Facts: Seneca enjoys her pet therapy visits as well as hiking and swimming.  Her favorite snacks include bananas and cucumbers. Seneca is not only a therapy dog, she also loves agility, canine conditioning and learning new tricks.  Seneca competes in agility with the American Kennel Club and holds titles at the masters level.

Follow on Instagram: @finley_seneca_therapylabradors

Sophie

Sophie

Name: Sophie
Handler: Jan
Age: 5
Breed: Boxer

Fun Facts: Sophie is a three year old deaf boxer adopted from a rescue about two years ago.  Her high energy and sweetly stubborn and mischievous personality presented some challenges during the early months following her adoption, but once her formal training began, she found her mission.  In addition to her love for  therapy work and new adventures, Sophie enjoys swimming in the lake, working on the farm (she is the self-appointed boss of the horses and ponies), and racing around with her four other siblings (she is the fastest in any race!).  She loves mealtimes, beef liver treats, and her favorite -Frosty Paws doggie ice cream. Sophie’s  favorite toy is any toy a canine sibling happens to be playing with!

Summit

Summit

Name:  Summit
Handlers: Laura & Steve
Age: 9
Breed: English Labrador Retriever

Fun Facts: Summit likes rolling on her back and throwing her paws in the air. Aside from pet therapy, she loves swimming, hiking, napping on the couch, and hopes to compete in dock diving one day.

Follow on Instagram: @summit_the_therapy_dog

Tenley

Tenley Pet Therapy dog

Name:  Tenley
Handler: Karen
Age: 6
Breed: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Fun Facts:  Tenley is very affectionate. She loves people of all ages and is always excited to do pet therapy visits. She has a soft, silky coat which is very relaxing to stroke. Her sweet spot is being scratched under her right front paw. Tenley has an AKC Novice Trick Dog Title. However, she prefers to work for food but does always try to please whoever is giving her attention even if they don't have treats. Her favorite toy is her ball, but she also enjoys chewing up any toy with stuffing or a squeaker.

Tori

Tori Pet Therapy dog

Name:  Tori
Handler: Peter and Sandy
Age: 2
Breed: Golden Retriever

Fun Facts: Tori is brand new to working as therapy dog and is excited about starting her career at UConn.  She loves everyone she meets and has worked hard to make sure that she is ready to wear her official working bandanna!  In her spare time, she loves to wrestle with her brother Andy and play tug with her brother Grant.  She also loves to hike and swim. Tori’s full name,  “Birdwing’s Victoria, Queen of ScotLand” is a tribute to her place in the Birdwing Land Litter and the 150 Year Celebration of the Golden Retriever Breed originally bred in Scotland. Tori is also one of the canine organizers of Celebration of the premier event, the New England Golden Jubilee and is a student at the Yale Canine Cognition Lab.

Wrigley

Wrigley

Name:  Wrigley
Handler: Laurel
Age: 7
Breed: Newfoundland

Fun Facts:  Wrigley loves pet therapy and spending time with everyone.  Favorite treats are scrambled eggs, tortellini, and Swiss cheese; favorite toy is a plush fish.  Wrigley loves doing “Newfy” things like swimming and pulling a cart.  He has obedience titles and is a Grand Champion who was shown at the 2021 Westminster dog show.

Follow on Instagram: @wrigleythenewf

Finley

Finley

Name: Finley
Handler: Denise and Nancy
Age: 3
Breed: Labradoodle

Fun Facts: Finley is a three year old Labradoodle. He loves to swim (he has an awesome running jump into the water to fetch) and chase a soccer ball.    In his first two therapy visits has become known as the lap dog!  To know that he accepts you, he will turn his back to you and expect a generous back or under the ears rub.

Toby

Toby Pet Therapy dog

Name: Toby
Handler: David
Age: 3
Breed: Golden Retriever

Fun Facts: Toby enjoys visiting assisted living facilities, high schools, and colleges.  He hopes to get involved in children's reading programs.  He enjoys any activity where he can hold an object in his mouth - tennis balls, sticks, and toys (fortunately not shoes. . . )

Meet the Dogs:

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