Palm Beach State College’s Lake Worth campus has introduced a therapy dog program that is brightening Tuesdays for students while offering new hands-on training opportunities in mental health.
The program, created by professor and licensed mental health counselor Dr. Suzie Duff, in partnership with the Center for Student Well-Being and local nonprofit Canine Assisted Therapy Inc. (CAT), features two golden retrievers, Rudder and Marlin. Both dogs were certified with CAT and earned their Canine Good Citizen certification before beginning weekly sessions with students, faculty and staff. Rudder and Marlin can be found every Tuesday from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Center for Student Well-Being.
“I wanted to find new ways to support students and their mental health, and this idea just clicked,” Duff said.
Since launching in the spring of 2024, the program has brought comfort and connection to more than 200 students at the center and at campus events. It is also expanding to train counseling center staff, interns and PBSC students as certified therapy dog handlers through a partnership with CAT.
The long-term goal, according to Duff and Center for Student Well-Being Director Robin Russo, is to create a model that other colleges can adopt to promote emotional well-being across campuses.
“This program is about more than the joy of being around animals,” Duff said. “It’s about empowering students to be part of a caring, mindful community.”
Elise Samet, director of programs and development at CAT, is proud of the program’s success.
“Working with Dr. Duff and Ms. Russo to build a program that supports student well-being and empowers future mental health professionals has been incredibly rewarding,” she said. “We’re proud to provide training and certification that not only prepares student handlers but also shows them how therapy dogs can enhance emotional care in their future practice.”
Center for Student Well-Being interns Lisa Kinston and Taylor Cole, who are both pursuing certification as therapy dog handlers and careers in mental health, said that the experience is shaping their professional growth. “Dogs can really help people regulate their emotions,” Kinston said.
