It’s not uncommon to see dogs around campus at WVU but did you know that there are actually some dogs working on campus?
Currently at West Virginia University, Hearts of Gold has visitation therapy and therapy dogs that brighten the lives of students and staff on campus. Visitation therapy dogs provide comfort to the people they are visiting. Therapy dogs provide therapy as part of a goal-directed therapeutic treatment plan with the guidance of a health professional. For example, a dog used by a physical therapist to encourage a child to use their arm to brush the dog, throw a ball, or to walk would be a therapy dog- it is providing therapy. A dog that visits patients in a hospital, nursing home, school, etc, is not providing therapy as guided by a professional - they are visiting people to spread joy. These are called visitation therapy dogs.
You can read about some of the WVU therapy and other Hearts of Gold dogs past and present by visiting the WVU Magazine article linked below.
Read the WVU Magazine Article
