WMU Therapy Dog Clinic

02/05/2026

Come out and join Sunny the Therapy Dog and his friend, Goldo, for an evening of fun activities at Ripple Effects Community Inclusion Center!

02/03/2026

ONE spot left!

01/27/2026

Come out and see me and several of my four legged friends tomorrow at the WMU College of Health and Human Services, 10a-12p!!

01/27/2026

We’re also excited to have Brooke Knottnerus working in the clinic this semester. Brooke will assist in data collection related to our current research project, as well as help with marketing, training classes, and community engagement!

01/21/2026

We're delighted to have Delaney Decker at the clinic this semester. Delaney will focus on moving our current research forward and being an all around excellent advocate for our program. Glad to have you Delaney!!

01/20/2026

We'll be there with some other furry friends!

01/20/2026

Hope everyone is staying safe out there! We love it!

Not sure what all the hoomans are griping about. It’s gorgeous out here!

01/10/2026

01/10/2026

🚨🐾 BREAKING NEWS 🐾🚨
Our very own puppy, Dan, from the SPCA of Southwest Michigan is officially starring in the famous Puppy Bowl on February 8 EST!!🏈🐶
This is such an incredible moment for Dan and our shelter, and we couldn’t be prouder of this amazing pup.

Be sure to tune in February 8 on to cheer him on and celebrate shelter dogs everywhere💙

01/04/2026

Several interesting findings here, including that experiencing reduced stress with dog interactions increased trust of strangers. This is one of the keys to our work!

HAI Section Research 🔎

Oxytocin Responses After Dog and Cat Interactions Depend on Pet Ownership and May Affect Interpersonal Trust
https://doi.org/10.1079/hai.2015.0008

Although many of us interact daily with animals, we have little understanding of how this affects our interactions with people. This study assessed the physiological effects of human-animal interactions and tested if this affected interpersonaltrust. Participants (N=141) were assigned to play with a friendly but unfamiliar cat or dog for 10 minutes or to rest quietly in a private room. Blood was obtained from human participants before and after animal interactions or rest, and videos of animal interactions were coded for encounter styles. Participants then made interpersonal monetary decisions to quantify trust and trustworthiness toward strangers. Although oxytocin (OT) fell on average after interactions with both dogs and cats, there was a positive and significant correlation between the change in OT after interacting with a dog and lifetime pet exposure. Participants who had lived with four or more dogs in their lifetimes had a positive increase in OT after interacting with an unknown dog. We found a negative correlation between the change in OT after interacting with a cat and cat ownership. Participants who had a reduction in stress hormones after a dog interaction showed increased trust in strangers. Specifically, a one-percentage-point decrease in the stress hormone adrenocorticotropin hormone increased trust in a stranger by 24 percent. Our findings show that the human OT response to animals depends on previous pet exposure.