Emory & Henry College students to benefit from new staff member - Gus, the therapy dog

Emory & Henry College welcomes Gus, a 5-year-old black Labrador retriever, to the Powell Resource Center (PRC) Counseling Services staff on campus.

Gus has completed years of training with the team at Service Dogs of Virginia (SDOV) and is excited to serve the students of Emory & Henry. Gus will be utilized by the Counseling Services’ staff in the provision of animal assisted therapy and support to Emory & Henry students.

“Service Dogs of Virginia is pleased to be able to provide a facility dog for Emory & Henry,” says Peggy Law, Executive Director of SDOV. “Unlike service dogs that work with one person, a professionally trained facility dog can serve multiple people who need encouragement to seek help, social interaction, recovery motivation, comfort, and/or a feeling of safety.”

Gus previously worked as a service dog and was trained as a physical assistance dog, partnered with an individual with Parkinson’s disease. Since then, Gus has received additional training to become a therapy dog. Gus is trained to recognize when a person is upset and will offer support, along with dozens of other cues.

Todd Stanley, Director of the PRC and Counseling Services, spearheaded Gus’ placement at the College and will serve as Gus’ owner and handler.

“We are beyond excited to welcome Gus to Emory & Henry and Counseling Services,” says Stanley. “He will be an invaluable asset to us as we work to provide mental health services and support to our students. As a therapy dog in our Center, Gus will work alongside Counselors in sessions as we know the human-animal bond can be a very powerful therapeutic tool. In addition, he will serve as an ambassador for our office, helping to normalize help seeking and encouraging open dialogue about mental health topics.”

Gus’ adventures will be documented on Instagram at @ehtherapydogs.

If you’re interested in learning more about Gus or want to schedule an appointment for counseling, please reach out to the Powell Resource Center, 220 Wiley Hall, by calling 276-944-6144. You may also utilize our online appointment request form, which can be found here.

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Gus

As a therapy dog in our Center, Gus will work alongside Counselors in sessions as we know the human-animal bond can be a very powerful therapeutic tool. In addition, he will serve as an ambassador for our office, helping to normalize help seeking and encouraging open dialogue about mental health topics.
- Todd Stanley

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Emory & Henry College students to benefit from new staff member - Gus, the therapy dog

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