Overview

At our university, supporting student mental health and wellbeing is a shared priority. The Therapy Dog Program helps foster connection, reduce stress, and create a sense of belonging on campus. Through regular drop-in sessions and outreach events, certified therapy dogs and their handlers provide a welcoming presence that encourages students to take some time to pause and connect.  

Since its launch in 2018, the Therapy Dog Program has become one of the most beloved wellness initiatives on campus. Each term, thousands of students visit our therapy dogs, often describing them as “the highlight of their day.” Research consistently shows that brief interactions with therapy animals can lower cortisol levels, reduce anxiety, and improve mood and focus. This low-barrier and accessible program meets students where they are and is a powerful complement to other mental health and wellness supports. 

Currently, the program operates through limited funding and Carleton employees who volunteer their time and their pups. To meet the growing demand from students and departments, additional resources are needed to expand and sustain the Therapy Dog Program. This campaign will allow us to train more volunteer teams to increase our offerings in underserved areas of campus and to introduce sensory-friendly sessions in response to diverse student needs. This will ensure that more students can experience the proven benefits of pet therapy on campus, particularly during times of transition, stress, and isolation. 

The Background

University life can be exciting, but also isolating. Many students struggle to find connection or ask for help when they need it most. The Therapy Dog Program helps bridge that gap, creating moments of belonging and warmth that remind students they are part of a community. However, each visit with a therapy dog offers more than comfort. It can also open a door to supportive conversations and connections to services. Our trained handlers are university staff who are attuned to signs that a student may be struggling and can help guide students to campus supports.
 

With your gift, we can expand the Therapy Dog Program to reach more students and train more handlers, ensuring that there are more touchpoints to critical resources when they are most needed.

The Rollout

Therapy dog programs are low-cost compared to clinical mental health services, yet are highly effective in creating moments of connection and comfort.   

Donations will be used to train additional therapy dogs and handlers for January 2026. This will allow our program to expand to more campus locations and to offer sensory-friendly sessions for students who prefer quieter, more accessible spaces.  

Your gift would help us cover the costs of:

• Training: Our dogs go through six weeks of training to ensure they are prepared for the their role as a CU Therapy Dog. Training costs $175 per dog
• Evaluation: Once training is complete, our dogs participate in a final evaluation to test their new skills. Dogs must pass this evaluation to certify for the program. Evaluations cost $500 per dog
• Therapy Dog gear: Our certified Therapy Dogs require specific gear to support them on campus, such as branded vests, resource-sharing business cards, animal identity cards, and more. Gear costs $125 per dog
• Handler Kits: Handler kits provide wellness resources and trainings for our handlers, ensuring our volunteers are equipped to provide wellness support and offer effective referrals to students on campus. Kits cost $50 per handler.

The Impact

The Therapy Dog Program has a measurable impact on student wellbeing and campus climate. In a recent survey with 116 student responses, 100% of respondents said they felt more positive after visiting a Therapy Dog, 98% said they felt less stressed after interacting with a Therapy Dog. By helping students manage stress, connect with peers and staff, and access resources, the program contributes to a more compassionate and resilient campus community. 

Every term, we face growing demand for our Therapy Dogs’ presence on campus: regularly scheduled office hours get busier, and we receive more visit requests submitted by students and departments for events across campus. With your gift, we would be able to certify more Therapy Dog teams to attend these sessions, providing more “pawsitive” support to our students.