By Darla Shelden, Metropolis Sentinel Reporter –
STILLWATER, OK — Pete’s Pet Posse, the nation’s largest university-based pet remedy program, has discovered a brand new house. Oklahoma State College has introduced the opening of a brand new facility the OSU Heart for Pet Remedy on the Stillwater campus to look after the emotional well-being of scholars, workers, college and visitors.
The OSU Heart for Pet Remedy is the evolution of the favored and extremely profitable Pete’s Pet Posse pet remedy program established eight years in the past as an experimental pilot program with eight canine.
Since that point, the almost 60 Pete’s Pet Posse canine/proprietor/handler groups have touched greater than 263,000 lives, participated in over 4,400 particular occasion appearances and have reached hundreds extra by way of social media.
This system has expanded to the OSU Heart for Well being Sciences and OSU Tulsa in 2015.
Pete’s Pet Posse was created by the OSU Heart for Veterinary Well being Sciences in cooperation with the OSU Veterinary Educating Hospital, College Counseling, Human Sources and the Worker Help Program.
In 2023, the primary pet remedy staff started serving on the OSU Faculty of Osteopathic Medication Cherokee Nation in Tahlequah, the nation’s first tribally-affiliated medical college.
“These canine and their proprietor/handlers have a confirmed observe file of reaching locations of the center we people can’t do alone,” mentioned OSU First Woman Ann Hargis and co-founder of Pete’s Pet Posse.
“The unimaginable generosity of donors who imagine in our program is making this new heart a actuality and conserving a very fashionable pet remedy program thriving at OSU.” Hargis acknowledged. “The OSU Heart for Pet Remedy is positioned to take the work of those groups to an entire new stage and my canine Scuff and I are thrilled to maintain serving the OSU group on this method.”
Pet remedy is confirmed in its potential to stimulate an computerized rest response in folks, enhance cardiovascular well being, decrease blood strain, scale back nervousness and improve the discharge of endorphins for a relaxing impact.
OSU pet remedy staff proprietor/handlers are usually not counselors however do assist College Counseling as wanted in instances when the canine can assist diffuse a disturbing and troublesome scenario.
“The canine of Pete’s Pet Posse amaze me each time I see them at work,” famous Trevor Richardson, Director of Sport Psychology, OSU Athletics. “The unconditional love and non-judgmental temperament of the animals can attain and heal emotional locations no human therapist can grasp. We’re thrilled this program is constant to serve the OSU group.”
The OSU Heart for Pet Remedy will probably be primarily based out of the OSU Scholar Union however precise pet remedy exercise will proceed to go the place wanted throughout the varied campus areas, in response to Richardson.
The brand new heart would be the hub for Pete’s Pet Posse administration, the scholar auxiliary known as Ruff Riders, workplace house for different OSU campus groups, the pet remedy analysis and Pete’s Pet Posse advisory board. Pete’s Pet Posse co-founder Kendria Price will function director.
Pete’s Pet Posse is self-funded and depends on donations to function. The Ann Hargis OSU Heart for Pet Remedy Endowment has been created to maintain this system.
A present from the Girls for OSU Council will safe the long-term way forward for the Heart, as soon as absolutely funded, and supply a strong monetary base going ahead. Extra info relating to the endowment and learn how to contribute could be discovered at osugiving.com
Using the experience of the OSU Veterinary Medical Educating Hospital, remedy animals are presently being skilled and positioned in OSU departments as a further wellness profit to school, workers, college students and guests to the OSU campus.
The Pete’s Pet Posse mission is to reinforce the wellbeing of the Cowboy household via professionally skilled and nationally licensed pet remedy groups in collaboration with campus sources and supporters.
For extra info, go to okstate.edu/pet-therapy.
