Written by Katie Zhang.

During the past few weeks, service puppies from Canine Companions for Independence came on campus to put smiles on students’ faces. The puppies came to the Batcave during lunch, and students came to sit down and play with the dogs.

Senior Romi Miller has a Golden Retriever-Labrador mix service puppy-in-training that visits every Thursday. “I raise her with canine companions and have a book for commands and training tips,” she said.

Miller believes that the service dogs impact both her and the Gunn community positively. “I actually started organizing this after the second day of school [when] something tragic happened to our students on campus, [and] it impacted me a lot,” Miller said. “It’s like a perfect way to forget about things for a little bit and focus on a cute puppy that wants to love you.”

For Miller, having the service dogs is fun and enjoyable. “For some people, they look forward to it every week, so I think it’s really important and really great to just have that kind of outlet,” she said. Wellness Coordinator Lauren Rocha says that having service dogs on campus is a great idea for the Gunn community and provides students with an alternative form of therapy. “I think therapy dogs specically allow students this opportunity to feel warmth and energy and happiness and not feel like they have to necessarily talk to anyone about anything that’s going on,” Rocha said.

When they first arrived on campus, the dogs brought a welcome break. “The first day that they were here, we all kind of took a little break and went outside to see them,” Rocha said. “It’s hard to explain, but they just give you a good energy and kind of make you feel rejuvenated. It’s a good way to get out of the office, and have some love in your life.”