Meet Waddy, A Therapy Dog At UCO, On The Porch

Meet Waddy, a therapy dog that visits the University of Central Oklahoma, and Associate Professor Susan Barnes on the Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages Porch.

Barnes says Waddy visits students in the hallways and in her office..

“[Waddy provides] emotional support and a mental health break for the students that need to see him,” Barnes said. “Nursing is a very, very stressful discipline. Some days he'll see 40 to 100 students that come by and just take a moment to pat him or lay on the floor with him and talk to him and tell him all their troubles.”

Waddy has made a big impact on students, according to Barnes.

“So it's pretty dramatic at times when he interacts with people, when they're having a really, really bad day,” Barnes said. “It ranges from very mild things, like ‘I like your dog,’ to ‘that dog saved my life.’”