Pups Provide Pet Therapy to Stressed Students

Alexandria Pascucci, a senior studying psychology at Caldwell College, had six final exams this week, and was feeling stressed out to say the least. Luckily, Pascucci got a much-needed mental break. 

The commuter student from Bloomfield was one of dozens who took time out of their hectic finals' schedule to spend time with certified therapy dogs in the Student Center last week.

Looking around the room, she said she couldn't pick a favorite. "All of them—I can't choose just one," she said.

Jenna Melkowits, a sophomore from New Providence, said she lives on campus and misses her black lab back home. She spent a couple of hours with the therapy dogs to de-stress from studying for four finals.

"I was really stressed after the math test I took this morning," Melkowits said, adding that the dogs let her escape from her worries for awhile. 

This is the second year Caldwell College invited therapy dogs and their owners to visit the school during finals week, according to Robin Davenport, director of counseling services.

"It's really a very happy event for students," Davenport said. "The tension is palpable [during finals] and they come in here and smiles immediately appear."

Davenport said dogs were referred from two groups, Therapy Dogs International in Flanders and The Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dogs based in Morris Plains.

Ruth Ellen St. Clair of Clifton volunteers through Therapy Dogs Int. with her chocolate Labrador retriever, Phoenix. Together, they visit Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in West Orange and area nursing homes about once a month.

St. Clair said Phoenix took a six-week course to learn how to be a therapy dog. The course taught her how to be comfortable with people, particularly those who might be in wheelchairs or have other special needs.

Tanner, who is considered a petite Newfoundland at 135 pounds, has a slightly more rigorous schedule. He and his owner Joyce Ochs of Oakland make trips in a bright red Mini-Cooper to Valley Hospital in Ridgewood twice a week, in addition to stops at nursing homes and the homes of hospice patients.

Ochs said Tanner has 12 boxes of clothes, including nine tutus that belonged to his sister before she died. For the holidays, Tanner came to the college dressed as Santa.

"I always read about it and how fantastic it is," Ochs said about helping others with therapy dogs. "When my last dog died, I decided to start."

The dogs went home by 2 p.m. and it was time to get back to the books. Exams continue through Saturday.