Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s beloved Canine Educators found themselves amidst a throng of engineering students last Friday, March 7, in the Herman & Heddy Kurz Atrium of Armstrong Hall, where they were the center of attention during an event on the final day of Purdue’s Mental Health Action Week (MHAW). Named “Canines, Cookies, and Calm,” the event hosted by the College of Engineering fostered smiles, laughter, and endless thanks from a total of some 300 engineering students.
The sixth annual MHAW at Purdue was led by Purdue Student Government, the Purdue administration and Human Resources, and featured a line-up of events and activities that took place from March 3 – 7. MHAW is designed to educate staff and students on the importance of mental health awareness and cultivate a community of care, and caring is something the Canine Educators truly excel in!
Kristy Eaton, EdD, MSW, LCSW, director of Community, Assistance and Resources for Engineering Students (CARES), said it was a privilege to observe the Canine Educators’ ability to cultivate such joy for every student they met. “I heard so much laughter and saw so many smiles. I was thanked endlessly by students as well,” Eaton said. “Those amazing dogs have the capacity to create calm and joy for our students, and it was a privilege to observe it happening. What a gift the College of Veterinary Medicine shared with our engineering students to wrap up MHAW.”
Such accolades are nothing new for the Canine Educators, especially as their popularity has grown. Every semester, as many as 28 dogs participate in the program and are cared for by first- and second-year DVM students as well as second-year veterinary nursing students. Sarah Schroeder, RVT, the Canine Educators coordinator and teaching animal protocol technologist in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, said the dogs are like the students’ first patients, enabling them to gain hands-on experience performing various physical exams and basic skills, all under the supervision of an instructor. Each student is on a rotating schedule within their group to manage their canine educator’s daily care and to walk them twice a day. Schroeder explained that events such as ‘Canines, Cookies, and Calm’ serve as additional enrichment for the animals, and afford them the perfect opportunity to share their love and support across the university.