Dogs are man’s best friend, but Mary Pat Bulfin , senior in biological sciences, would consider them man’s best therapists.
That’s the vision she had the summer of 2010, after attending a conference at the LeaderShape Institute that inspired her to become a community leader.
“The conference challenged me to think about something that I was passionate about and create a plan to make it happen,” Bulfin said.
With a keen interest in animal-assisted therapy and hoping to pursue it long term, Bulfin devised a way that college students could build relationships with Raleigh citizens-using therapy dogs as the common thread.
Bulfin shared her vision with two fellow students, Ashley Duxbury and Vyahn Vo, and together they founded Pawssibilities Animal Assisted Therapy ( AAT ) Organization at N.C . State in the fall of 2010. The club incorporates principles from the national registering organization Pet Partners, formally known as the Delta Society. This defines AAT as purposefully incorporating certified companion animals and their handlers as an integral part of the human treatment process by promoting physical, social, emotional and cognitive benefits.
“Pawssibilities is all about building relationships, and using animals as the catalyst to do that,” Bulfin said.
Certified therapy dogs can accompany handlers into healthcare facilities and schools to visit with patients, senior citizens, students and U.S . troops and their families who are serving on active duty.
Dogs of any breed must be good-natured and behaviorally suited to interact with people and other dogs to qualify as a therapy dog. They must pass the Canine Good Citizen test and the Pet Partners evaluation of skills and aptitude exercises. The skills tested range from basic commands such as “sit,” “down,” “stay” and “heel” to more complicated abilities, such as reacting well to distractions and clumsy petting.
The club is open to all students and faculty. A partnership with the vet school this semester has given students the opportunity to bring their dogs to meetings to work on the skills that will be formally evaluated.
“Pawssibilities is unique to N.C . State,” Bulfin said. “Ultimately we hope to start branches at other colleges and universities as well.”
Since its first meeting, the club has grown at an unexpected rate, both in terms of interest and membership. Even Chancellor Randy Woodson and his wife, Susan, have suggested a potential partnership with the club to certify their two dogs, Mr. Beasley and Georgia.
Ashley Duxbury , a senior in biological sciences and one of Pawssibilities’ founding members, attends the meetings with her one-year-old black Labrador Retriever/Pit bull mix, Morgan. Duxbury was inspired to get Morgan certified as a training dog because of her own experience with animal assisted therapy.
“My grandfather is in a nursing home and has animal assisted therapy on a weekly basis,” Duxbury said. “I have seen the difference it can make, and I wanted to get Morgan certified so that we could give back to the community in this way.”
Calley Jones, a second year vet student, is also working with a young dog. Her husky, Aspen, is only about 2 years old and was in fact Jones’s first spay at the vet school. The pair has been attending Pawssibilities meetings since it began and practices the training techniques everyday.
“She’s such a pretty dog, and she has a teddy bear face that catches eyes in the street,” Jones said. “She loves people, so it’s great to have goals to work toward in terms of training.”
Mary Jackson, junior in animal science, is one of three Pawssibilities members who will be participating in Sunday’s evaluation. She and her 7-year-old golden retriever, Libby, have also been involved in Pawssibilities since its origin.
“I have been training Libby on basic commands since she was a puppy, so a lot of our work here has been a review for her,” Jackson said. “The group meetings have been a great opportunity to socialize her with other dogs, since she isn’t used to being around them.”
Jackson’s primary interests are in animal behavior, and she hopes to attend vet school or graduate school. The time she spends with Libby doing animal assisted therapy will qualify as volunteer hours that contribute toward her experience with animal behavior.
But not everyone who attends the meetings brings a dog. Michelle Winters, a freshman in animal science, saw a Pawssibilities flyer on the morning of their most recent meeting and decided to attend. Like Duxbury , she has witnessed the effect that animal assisted therapy can have on a person.
“A few years ago, my brother was hospitalized and he missed his Cairn terrier a lot,” Winters said. “I trained the dog so that he could become certified and go visit my brother in the hospital. It made him so happy.”
Making people happy is what Pawssibilities is all about, particularly those in society who are isolated in some way.
“Pawssibilities is foundationally about enhancing respectful relationships between diverse people,” Bulfin said. “N.C . State students are empowered to serve their community through the naturally inclusive power of a therapy dog.”
The club is currently accepting any interested students who would like to be a part of this empowering movement. They meet every other Monday night at Animal Scan at the vet school at 7 p.m . For more information, contact Mary Pat Bulfin at pawssibilitiesncsu@gmail.com .
