Pack of emotional comfort Labradors on their way to Schoolcraft College
Shelby Tankersley
LIVONIA — Five Labradors are working their way into the ranks of Schoolcraft College's staff.
The community college, 18600 Haggerty Road, expects to introduce five emotional comfort dogs into the campus community in May. The pups will be fully trained after about one year and work full-time to offer support to students and staff.
President Glenn Cerny noted that college comes with plenty of stressors and typically coincides with students entering a new stage of life. He hopes the pups help make the significant life changes that accompany college a little easier to bear on a day-to-day basis.
"The biggest issue we have is anxiety," Cerny said. "Anytime you go to a college campus, students are anxious. Mental health, especially after the pandemic, has been an issue we’ve been addressing."
The college's admissions office, library and Cerny's office will have a dog stationed at them frequently. The two other dogs will walk around campus, attend events or visit classrooms. Cerny is optimistic the litter of furry friends will bring people joy and foster a more welcoming feeling on campus.
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Each dog will live with and be handled by a Schoolcraft College Police Department officer, which the college hopes will allow students to get to know officers. Some administrators will be trained as backup handlers to accompany dogs as needed.
"This also allows our officers to be involved with the campus in a very positive way," Cerny said. "They play a big role in the students’ wellbeing here."
The $50,000 needed to purchase and train the emotional comfort dog team, happening through Lucky Labs in Ontario, was paid for by the Schoolcraft College Foundation.
People can visit Schoolcraft's Instagram page, @SchoolcraftNow, to vote on names for each dog. Voting ends 10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28.
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Contact reporter Shelby Tankersley at stankersle@hometownlife.com or 734-311-0659.