A Doggone Good Time
Dec 16, 2014 | General
"We had such a great turnout," Tutor Coordinator Meredith Krall exclaimed. "It was really great to hear the kids say, `I'm so happy!'"
The Visiting Pet Program, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, first set out to spread fluff and happiness to New Orleans residents in 1987. The organization has grown from only a handful of members to more than 100 volunteers, and it's not just for dog-lovers. Cats and even a rabbit are on rotation as well, making regular visits to nursing homes, hospitals and schools across three parishes.
"Right now we have about 120 members," Visiting Pet Program President Lee Gaffney said. "Everyone goes through an orientation, an evaluation and a training program, as well as a hands-on workshop with the pets."
"We do a tremendous amount of training before we let anyone loose," Gaffney added.
The Visiting Pet Program certainly did their job with this group and it was difficult to decide which were happier: the students or the pets.
"It was so much fun because I had been studying for a while, and this was such a nice little break," said freshman Emily-Kathryn Hoey, a middle-distance runner in the women's track and field and cross country programs. "The dogs were so cute."
Caltha Seymour, Tulane's Director of Academic Services Center for Student-Athletes (ASC), was especially thankful for the Visiting Pet Program's presence during finals week.
"Our athletes work so hard all year long," Seymour said. "One of the goals of the Tulane Scholar-Athlete Program is to make sure that we cultivate excellence in academic life, and stress relief is definitely an important part of that."
It's safe to say that this will not be the last time the pups make an appearance in the Wilson Center: Tuesday's event was so successful that Krall and Seymour are already looking forward to bringing the Visiting Pet Program back at the end of next semester.
"We're really thrilled to have a partnership with them," Seymour said. And judging by the grins on the faces of the student-athletes, it is clear that the rest of the Green Wave is too.
Players Mentioned
