Not every dog gets the privilege of receiving a Ph.D. for his services. Over the years, dogs have proven to be some of the best therapy solutions for people. Since 2014, a Labrador Retriever, named Moose, at 8 years old, has worked as a therapy dog at Virginia Techs Cook Counseling center. He is now being rewarded with an honorary degree from Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine which operated by Virginia Tech and the University of Maryland. Moose was given a degree at the virtual commencement ceremony last Friday.
Moose helped out in counseling sessions for thousands of students along with his owner Trent Davis who is a licensed counselor. Davis said that therapy dogs are important in aid sessions by offering comfort and an environment of security. These dogs offer comfort and grounding but for many people, other people have not been so kind to these people but dogs seem to offer a little more security.
According to a Virginia Tech press release, in February Moose was diagnosed with prostate cancer and has been treated by the College of Veterinary Medicine. At this time, he is doing really well and has returned to work with fellow therapy dogs named Carson, Derek, and Wagner.
His online biography said Moose was raised at New York’s Guiding Eyes for the Blind. Unfortunately, he suffered from a minor medical condition preventing him from becoming a guide dog. He was adopted by Davis and then became a therapy dog.
Along with being a therapy dog, he loves to swim, play tug-of-war, and eating! In 2019, he was honored as the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association’s animal hero! Way To Go Moose!