Therapy Dog Offers Comfort to Campus and Its Visitors

Choosing where to go to college can be stressful. Tucker is here to help.

A members of the Office of Admissions staff is lending his very unique set of skills to incoming students experiencing the maze of decisions, forms, tests and essays.

Tucker, it should be said, is a dog. A therapy dog, to be exact, and a darn good one at that. This 6-year-old Great Pyrenees black Labrador mix belonging to Micaela Lenhart, associate vice president for admissions, joined the team in the summer of 2021 after being certified by KC Pets for Life as a therapy dog. It’s the sort of job Tucker seemed born for, she said.

“There were a lot of kids at the townhouse where we used to live,” Lenhart said. “And he was just so good with them. So I didn’t get him to be a therapy dog — he definitely chose this.”

Seeing his natural calming abilities, Lenhart started the process of getting Tucker certified as a therapy animal. The process involved training courses and tests of his composure that included a 3-second restrictive hug and walking through a room full of people vying for his attention, simulating the sometimes-noisy environment that a therapy dog will find themselves.

Tucker took it all in stride, and throughout his time he has gone to nursing homes and worked with children with cognitive disabilities and individuals who are visually impaired. When Lenhart came to Rockhurst, she said, she thought he could do some good here, too.

“I realized that these college kids can be really stressed out,” she said. “I’ve heard them squeal when they see Tucker. And the prospective families, who are facing this big decision and changes, they really love to see him.”

Most Fridays — one of the busiest days for prospective student tours — Tucker will be among the first stops for tours, ready to offer a little comfort for the families and students visiting Rockhurst for the first time. In addition, Lenhart said Tucker is there for current students or staff and faculty who need a break during a stressful day and will visit incoming students taking part in the Ride to the Rock overnight visits.

Throughout the day, Lenhart said, Tucker also has downtime scheduled.

“All day is a long time for a therapy dog to be active,” she said. “What people don’t realize is a therapy dog is working. It is definitely work for a dog.”

Tucker just makes it look easy.