FAIRBORN — Wright State University students were all smiles in the midst of their finals week as the institution hosted puppies on campus Dec. 6 to offer the students “fuzz therapy.”
The puppies are service dogs in-training provided by 4 Paws 4 Ability in Xenia. Wright State students can be spotted throughout the year taking care of 4 Paws 4 Ability dogs to help socialize them before they are put to work.
According to Wright State Spokesperson Seth Bauguess, hosting service dogs-in training speaks to the university’s mission of accessibility and inclusiveness of students with disabilities. He said “fuzz therapy” gives the students a break from finals week crunch time to allow them to come back to their studies with a breath of fresh air.
Wright State student Maggie Rodriguez, a participant in the 4 Paws 4 Ability campus program, said the program started seven-to-eight years ago. Rodriguez shared that she feels it is “fun” to volunteer for the program and be included as part of the dogs individual journeys to becoming a service animal.