Intrepid Superhero Pets: Moose, the therapist dog who received a doctorate degree

intrepidsuperheropet

Our pets can be so intrepid and smart that they can receive a real diploma!

Moose, an eight-year-old Labrador retriever, was recently honored by Virginia Tech's College of Veterinary Medicine. The class of 2020's celebration took place during a virtual event and the dog received an honorary doctorate degree alongside veterinary students.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kind and cuddling

Moose is a therapy dog at the Cook Counseling Center. He's one of the school's four therapy animals and ambassadors for mental health awareness. The fluffy retriever, who has been with Virginia Tech since 2014, helps students cope with anxiety, trauma, and other mental health issues.

Impressive results

 

Moose helped thousands of students and assisted in more than 7,500 counseling sessions, according to his owner, licensed counselor Trent Davis.

Davis launched the school's animal-assisted therapy program to provide students with another form of comfort.

"Some humans haven't had the best experience with other humans or even other dogs. In both those cases, Moose provides a very safe and comforting force in the room".

Davis added: "When people ask me 'How does this dog therapy thing work?', I answer: "I have never met you before and now you're sitting one foot away from me petting the dog and talking to me about the meaning of life."

We can say that Moose deserves the title of "Intrepid Superhero Pet"! 

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Sources: Alaa Elassar, CNN