Fetch a break: Therapy dogs provide respite at RSU library during finals week | Local News

Jace Manos, a sophomore at Rogers State University, said his Tuesday morning was rather stressful. The chemical engineering major had already taken two of his final exams, and two more were cresting over the horizon.

When Manos heard therapy dogs would be at the Stratton Taylor Library, he thought it would be a good way to decompress. 

“It definitely helped me calm down and get in a better head space [to pet the dogs],” Manos said. “It was a blessing for sure.”

Volunteers from Karing K9s brought their dogs Monday and Tuesday to the RSU library, where students could meet and play with them. 

Kaitlin Crotty, director of the Stratton Taylor Library, said RSU has been hosting “Paws & Relax” events during finals week since the 2018 spring semester.

“The students have been working so hard all semester,” Crotty said. “They’ve been juggling their classes, their life, their regular jobs, whatever. How cool would it be if we could bring in an opportunity to let them just kind of escape all of that for a moment?”

Blair Plummer is a sophomore who’s close to earning an associate’s degree in business and is also pursuing a major in nursing. Plummer said she had a huge biology test on Thursday that was putting a lot of pressure on her.

Plummer spent an hour or so playing with the dogs in the library lounge. She said dogs are a great source of stress relief.

“They’re all so soft, so kind,” Plummer said. “J.J. just had so much energy. He just wanted to come and see everybody, and he got in a couple people’s laps.”

J.J.— full name “T-bar Snow Stars Jumping for Joy at Sam Hill” — is a 1-year-old Samoyed, a white, thick-furred breed from northern Russia. 

Karing K9s volunteer Sharon Wilson brought J.J. and his mother, Joy, to RSU Monday and Tuesday.

Wilson said J.J. has been registered as a therapy dog for two months. She said he’s a sweet boy who’s adjusting well to the job because he’s calm and likes to engage with people.

Wilson said she’s been taking therapy dogs to places like universities, hospitals and libraries for 30 years. Wilson said she enjoys the calming effect J.J. and Joy have on people.

“As people start petting them, their blood pressure will go down,” Wilson said. “[Students] are missing their dogs from home, or cats, and what’s funny is that everyone here, for the most part, has either got a dog or a cat at home, and these dogs all pick up on it.”

Moriah Chambers, a sophomore business major, said she always has at least one dog at home because her family dogsits. 

She said she was glad to see Joy and Arson, a 9-year-old Dalmatian, because she’s seen them at past “Paws & Relax” events.

“I’ve done it since my first semester, and I’ve just really enjoyed it,” Chambers said. “I love dogs, and it helps with stress, and it’s a good, fun thing to do during finals week.”

Deanna and Sean Lombardo own Arson and his littermate, Demmi Moore-Spots.

Deanna Lombardo said Arson has been working as a therapy dog for six years, and Demmi for about two years.

“Their great-great-great-grandmother was a therapy dog, and their great-great-uncle was a therapy dog, too — it’s in their bloodline,” Lombardo said.

Lombardo said she’s been taking Arson and Demmi to RSU for several semesters because she loves talking to students and hearing about the subjects they’re studying. 

She said it brings her joy to see how happy Arson and Demmi make the people they meet.

“I figured it would be awesome to make them therapy dogs because people want to see them already, and they get to enjoy them,” Lombardo said. “…We always are out in public, we’re always doing public stuff, and we share them with everybody.”