Texan Mosaic

Hannah Ballejo from Newswriting COMM 2311-001 contributed to this story

If you like dogs, it’s hard to resist this face. In fact, looking irresistible is part of this dog’s job.

His name is Oreck. No wait, it might be Dyson. Both dogs are wire-haired miniature dachshunds who are part of the team of therapy dogs, who have visited the SPC Levelland Campus during final exams week for a couple of years now.

The dogs are from the South Plains Obedience and Training Club or SPOTC.

Sherell Guichard-Thomas, SPOTC’s public education coordinator and publicity committee chair, says SPOTC has nine dogs that make up the majority of therapy visits.

“Typically,” she says, “four are able to make it to most of the SPC campus visits:  Zoey (Bouvier des Flandres), Oreck and Dyson (Wirehaired Miniature Dachshunds), and Nina (Leonberger).”

SPC Counselor Kassidy Greaves says dogs can help students.

“Therapy dogs seem to have an amazingly calm and positive effect on not just students,” she says, “but on other individuals as well.”

SPOTC`s Guichard-Thomas agrees.  “From what I’ve seen over the years,” Guichard-Thomas says, “the dogs tend to have a very calming effect on individuals.  Dogs have a non-judgmental attituded and exude unconditional love which is very appealing.”

Medical research seems to back that experience up.   For instance, one article from Johns Hopkins Medicine’s webpage says, “Research has shown that simply petting a dog lowers the stress hormone cortisol, while the social interaction between people and their dogs increases levels of the feel-good hormone oxytocin (the same hormone that bonds mothers to babies).”

Therapy dog visits are not all SPOTC has to offer.  SPOTC’s website lists many other events.

“Our club hosts three American Kennel Club Agility trials and one Obedience and Rally trials annually,” says Guichard-Thomas.

Will Oreck, Dyson, Nina and the gang be back by popular demand at SPC this May during finals week?

While the SPC Student Life office reports it has not yet finalized end-of-the-year events, there is a good chance it will do a “fuel your finals” event again this semester and invite the therapy dogs for a fun go-around once more.

South Plains College student Audrey Villarreal says she thinks that it would be a good idea.     “I think therapy dog are very useful,” she says, “and very helpful especially in times of stressful situations and vulnerability.”

Last May SPC student Nathan Ferris called the dogs “adorable”.  He said he used to have a big, fluffy dog.  “I grew up with them,” he said, “so I just love getting to give Nina a hug throughout the week.”

That same semester, SPC student Jazael Garcia said the dogs definitely brought less stress during finals. “Especially to come from the finals to pet the dogs afterwards,” he said, “be like, it’s nice and peaceful.”

This spring SPC student Zachary Molina says he hopes the dogs come back again.  He says hugging a therapy dog makes him feel “safe, secure, happy, and warm inside.”

And who wouldn’t want to feel that?  Whether it’s final exams week or not?