Among the many Phillips Brooks House Association programs, Pets as Therapy stands out as one of the few Harvard initiatives to unite animals and students to support those in need. Through carefully organized visits, undergraduate volunteers and trained therapy dogs head to the Cambridge Rehabilitation and Nursing Center to offer canine companionship and its associated comfort to residents.
According to the initiative’s leadership, the program brings 15 to 20 dedicated volunteers to the center once a week. The volunteers and their therapy dogs typically engage with 10 to 18 residents during each visit.
Thalia Stavropoulos ’28, a current volunteer and rising student co-director, joined Pets as Therapy out of her love for animals and commitment to service. “I joined as soon as I found out there was a program that allowed me to interact with dogs as well as individuals that are part of the elderly community, and play a role in spreading the joy that I know dogs can bring to people,” she said.
Fellow volunteer and incoming co-director Jason Kleehammer ’28 echoed Stavropoulos’s passion for animals and neighborhood impact. “I’ve personally recognized the deep emotional connections that working with animals can foster and how they can connect people on a very profound and life-changing level,” he said.
The interviewees noted that many of the nursing center residents’ demeanors shift positively upon interacting with the dogs. Studies have shown that interactions with animals can lower stress levels, reduce feelings of loneliness, and even improve cognitive function among elderly populations.
Stavropoulos and Kleehammers’s volunteering experiences affirm such research. From an environment of often quiet isolation to one teeming with canine companions, through Pets as Therapy, these individuals in what can be a lonely environment get to enjoy the unconditional affection dogs provide.
Beyond the impact Pets as Therapy has on the retirement home community members, Stavropoulos also believes the program helps her get off Harvard’s campus, meet new people, and unwind. “Even though in Pets as Therapy we’re technically providing therapy for others, I always tell people that it’s therapy for me, too,” she said.
For Stavropoulos, seeing the same people each week allows her to form deep connections, learning about their life stories, families, and the wealth of knowledge they have to share—stories that might otherwise go unheard.
“These people have so much to share that, honestly, they really don’t get to when they’re kind of stuck at this rehabilitation center,” she said. “[We get] to learn about their life stories, to learn about their families, where they’re from… It really feels like they’re some of our closest friends.”
However, this work is not without its challenges. Language barriers often hinder the volunteering process for students involved with Pets as Therapy. “[We’re] really trying to get students who speak a variety of languages to join us so that those residents don’t feel isolated,” Stavropoulos explained.
With this goal and others in mind, both Stavropoulos and Kleehammer hope to expand the program. Currently, Pets as Therapy is only partnered with one nursing center, but they believe collaborating with other student groups and organizations could help broaden its reach. One of their key ideas is introducing an on-campus Pets as Therapy program that would meet bimonthly, providing a more accessible space for students and staff to interact with the dogs and connect.
Pets as Therapy fosters connections that they believe are very important. “To look at another human being, and to open up to them, to have genuine conversations, and to connect with them on an emotional level,” he said. “Creating those genuine emotional connections and really beneficial relationships between whether it’s humans or animals is super important, and it can benefit everyone, no matter who you are or what walks of life you come from. ” Kleehammer notes.
Stavropoulos emphasized the importance of raising awareness about such programs, urging fellow students to explore the opportunities available through PBHA. “I’d really just urge Harvard students at the beginning of the year to check out the fair at the beginning of the year,” she said. “Research the different PBHA programs, and if one calls to you, just apply. More often than not, we’d love to take you.”Â
Marcel Ramos Castaneda ’28 (mramoscastaneda@college.harvard.edu) is comping the Independent.