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“It’s really amazing how many students come up. Every time they see a dog there’s a big smile on their face. It’s pretty neat,” Tupperman said. “We get as much out of this as the students do. It’s really gratifying to see how the students interact and really appreciate the dogs being on campus.”

Tupperman was aware of the way some people were hesitant to touch the dogs at first, usually asking permission from the handlers.

“A lot of people are just reserved about dogs because they’re not quite sure how they’ll react,” Tupperman said. “Some dogs can be a little bit mean or aggressive and so I think they (students) are just a little standoffish about that, and they’re not used to seeing dogs on campus because dogs aren’t allowed in residence halls.”

As the hour wound down and the crowds began to disperse, Jake, Cayenne, Bucca and Reggie, a 4-year-old Great Pyrenees recovered from the onslaught of affection they received. Adamle said the dog therapy session went wonderfully.

“There’s just magic in the human/animal bond,” Adamle said.

You can contact Conner Howard at [email protected].