Student Health and Wellness

Name:  Andy
Handlers:  Peter and Sandy
Age:  9
Breed:  Golden Retriever

Fun Facts:  Andy loves his job as a therapy dog and in his spare time he loves to hike and swim.  Andy is helping to determine the causes and help find a cure for canine cancer through his participation as a hero in the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study. He is also the Ambassador at the premier event, the New England Golden Jubilee and is a student at the Yale Canine Cognition Lab.

Name:  Benny
Handlers:  Jeanne
Age:  10
Breed:  Shih Tzu

Fun Facts: Benny loves everyone he meets, people of all ages and is always excited to do pet therapy. His very first visit was at UConn's Paws To Relax in 2016. He especially loves the back massages during his visits. He knows a couple of tricks and has earned a Novice Trick Dog Title. His favorite activity is playing with his 2 big golden retriever sisters Porsche and Martini. He loves car rides and his naps on the sofa with his big golden retriever brother, Fireball.

Follow on Instagram: @theadventuresof_benny_fireball

Name: Ernie (aka Mr.Sunshine)
Handler: Laurel
Age: 2
Breed: Newfoundland

Fun Facts: Ernie (aka Mr. Sunshine) is a one-year old Newfoundland who is just starting his pet therapy career. Still very much a puppy, a 120 lb puppy that is, he loves to run, play with toys, and dog holes in the yard. Ernie had his Canine Good Citizen and Trick Dog Intermediate titles and will start his show career in 2024.  Everyone he meets becomes a friend, his favorite toy is all of them, and he never met a food group that he didn't love.

Follow on Instagram: @erniethenewf

Name:  Grant
Handlers:  Peter and Sandy
Age:  6
Breed:  Golden Retriever

Fun Facts:  Grant loves his job as a therapy dog.  He is the scout for our daily hikes. He loves to hike, swim, ride waves, play ball, and dive! He is currently very busy training his young sister, is the lead canine organizer of the New England Golden Jubilee, and is a student at the Yale Canine Cognition Lab.

Name: Finley
Handler: Denise and Nancy
Age: 3
Breed: Labradoodle

Fun Facts: Finley is a three year old Labradoodle. He loves to swim (he has an awesome running jump into the water to fetch) and chase a soccer ball.    In his first two therapy visits has become known as the lap dog!  To know that he accepts you, he will turn his back to you and expect a generous back or under the ears rub.

Name: Finley
Handler: Caroline
Age: 9
Breed: Labrador Retriever

Fun Facts: Finley’s favorite activities are walking in the woods, riding in the boat and napping in the sunshine. Her favorite snack is pizza crust! While Finley loves everyone, she especially loves young children and the 20-something crowd.

Instagram Handle: @finley_seneca_therapylabradors

Name: Lady Juno
Handlers: Sherie
Age:  6
Breed:  Black and Tan Coonhound

Fun Facts: Lady Juno is a Black and Tan Coonhound that was rescued by Northeast Coonhound Rescue. I adopted her in 2019 and was told that she was an exceptional dog which I soon came to realize. I did not aspire at that time to have a therapy dog, or a READ dog, but Lady Juno seemed to be so empathetic and gentle that I felt this was her calling as a dog. Lady Juno had pups before I adopted her and I believe this experience helped her to be the gentle kind soul that she is. I hope that you will enjoy her company as I believe it is meant to be shared.

Name: Mica
Handler: Sue
Age: 6
Breed: Golden Retriever/Labrador/Shar Pei

Fun Facts: Mica loves everything she does including her time spent serving as a pet therapy dog. She hikes with her humans every day and nothing makes her happier than just hanging with those who want to show her a little attention. She is very good at dog tricks (sit, stay, roll over) so if you get a chance to meet her, do not be afraid to put her to the test. She is also very soft, so petting her head is a comfort for all involved. She is looking forward to getting back to meeting people after the past year of restrictions.

Follow on Instagram: @micaglenney

Name:  Millie
Handlers: 
Age:  3
Breed: Cocker/Terrier Mix

Fun Facts: Millie has to start her day with snuggles before going outside or eating breakfast. Millie notices all the happenings in the neighborhood - barking at the mail truck and letting us know that deliveries have arrived. Millie loves playing chase with her dog friends and she is often the fastest. If there are no other dogs to play with Millie likes to shred her stuffed animals. Millie patiently waits her turn for treats as she has two older canine siblings.

Name: Oliver
Handler: Jan
Age: 3
Breed: Boxer

Fun Facts: Oliver is an almost-two deaf boxer. He was adopted from a rescue in Tennessee, and had some difficult health issues for the first six months he was at our home. In spite of not feeling great, he still participated in running around the yard and farm with his two deaf sisters (Sophie and Lulu) and annoying his elder siblings (Lexi and Jaxon) as much as possible—skills he has perfected now that his health is good. His favorite food is everything—he loves to eat! And while he enjoys playing with toys, he prefers chase games with the rest of the pack. His special talent is snuggling! In spite of being the largest of the family dogs—he can squeeze into any available lap space—even if already occupied by one or two of his siblings.

Name: Seneca
Handler: Caroline
Age: 6
Breed: Labrador Retriever

Fun Facts: Seneca enjoys her pet therapy visits as well as hiking and swimming.  Her favorite snacks include bananas and cucumbers. Seneca is not only a therapy dog, she also loves agility, canine conditioning and learning new tricks.  Seneca competes in agility with the American Kennel Club and holds titles at the masters level.

Follow on Instagram: @finley_seneca_therapylabradors

Name:  Shelby
Handlers: Deb
Age:  2
Breed: Golden Retriever

Fun Facts: Shelby, whose registered name is "New Era Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," is just beginning her career in animal-assisted activities. She was raised for the first ten weeks of her life in the same household as fellow therapy dogs, Benny and Fireball, who she refers to as her uncles. So far her favorite places to visit are college campuses and her human grandmothers' senior living communities. She has a soft, ginger-colored coat that is perfect for chest and belly rubs. Shelby never met a tennis ball she didn't like. She's not so great at fetch because she refuses to hand over the ball once she catches it! She is quick to rip open any new toy that has stuffing or a squeaker, and enjoys a good romp with her brother, Tucker, who is 15 months younger but has the same biological parents. Besides Tucker, Shelby shares her home with her two human moms who are UConn alumni, her kitties Gracie and Jasper, and a pony named Lightning.