There was a basset hound named Copper and a golden retriever named Sirius and a Boston bulldog named Devon. As they were intended to do, they exerted a magnetic pull on Salgado and other students who, though harassed by the prospect of final exams in coming days, could not help but stop and say "Awww … "
Dogs don't normally roam the student union at LCCC. These were therapy dogs, the kind used to bring a dose of nuzzling calm to hospitals and nursing homes and schools for troubled students. Studies have credited them with lowering blood pressure, easing depression and even calming outbursts among dementia patients.
The college's Educational Support Services department thought it would be a good idea to have dogs on hand at finals time, as Kutztown University and other schools have done with great success for years.
So LCCC contacted New Jersey-based Therapy Dogs International, which drafted some of its Lehigh Valley volunteers to bring their dogs to the school Monday.
They were a hit, as you would expect.
"We're getting as many staff people through here as students," said Verna Fisher, a writing specialist with Educational Support Services.
Of course. Once word gets out that dogs are around, people want to see them.
Consider Devon, a sad-faced, black-and-white rescue whose Zen-like calmness gives the impression of great age and wisdom. People often think she is 10 or 12.
Devon is actually only about 2 and still capable of puppyish romping, owner Linda Clawson said. But, like all therapy dogs, she is a masterful controller of her own instincts. During certification testing, she was able to ignore an untended bowl of food.
That impressed Charlene Piskula of Coplay, who said her retriever, Sirius, struggled with the food test. But Sirius passed the training and is now entering his second year as a therapy dog.
I was quite taken with Copper, the 6-year-old basset.
"When they said they wanted dogs to relieve exam stress, I said 'Yeah, mine's perfect for that,'" said her owner, Kerry Hendricks of Allentown.
That's because Copper gives the impression that no stress can penetrate her jowly aura of serenity.
"She weights 45 pounds but she's totally a lap dog," Hendricks said, proving the point by hoisting the dog onto her lap.
Copper was far too big for the perch but seemed as content there as on the tile floor. She watched the passing human traffic and submitted to caresses and made the dreary day immensely better by doing nothing at all.
"They're like your friend, said Toan Nguyen, a nursing student from Whitehall Township who has had five dogs in his life but can't afford one at the moment.
Not to worry. When the time comes, the world is full of dogs looking for a home.
More information about Therapy Dogs International is available online at http://www.tdi-dog.org or by calling 973-252-9800.
daniel.sheehan@mcall.com
610-820-6598
