The Department of Chemistry played host to therapy dogs Abi, Merlin and Emily from Sunshine Therapy Dogs in the Davenport Atrium this November as part of a program run by Working Towards Inclusivity in Chemistry Toronto (WICTO).
WICTO is a student-led organization dedicating to promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion within the chemistry community through awareness, engagement, and advocacy. Founded in 2014 by a small gathering of graduate students looking to make changes and develop a community of women in the field of chemistry, WITCO is a constantly growing and evolving group and seek inclusion in the STEM community for all equity-seeking groups. We interviewed their chair, Abbey Clapperton, and and co-chair, Alex Gabbey, about the therapy dog program.
Chemistry: This is WICTO’s second year bringing therapy dogs to the Department of Chemistry, isn’t it? What sparked this initiative?
Yes, WICTO first brought in therapy dogs in April of 2023 and we ran this event again in November!
We run monthly journal clubs for the department, in which we discuss articles relevant to graduate student life (e.g., building a sense of belonging in chemistry, graduate student funding, gender bias in the chemical sciences, equity issues in grading, etc). One of the articles we discussed in March 2023 was the impact of research culture on mental health & diversity in STEM. We wanted to create opportunities for members of the department to come together and experience a "mental health break". There is a lot of research surrounding the benefits of human-dog interactions and the presence of a dog can reduce stress, anxiety and depression.
We like to think of events like these as community building.
Chemistry: What can you tell me about the dogs you brought to the Lash Miller building recently? Presumably they are certified therapy dogs—what does that mean in terms of training?
WICTO: Abi, Merlin and Emily and their owners are volunteers with Sunshine Therapy Dogs. The teams undergo an assessment to make sure they are comfortable in group environments. Sunshine tests the dog's responses to their owner, other dogs and people, new sounds, etc. They are not service animals and don't have to go through rigorous training.
Chemistry: Are there any myths about therapy dogs that you’d like to share?
One common myth is that therapy dogs, emotional support dogs, and service dogs are all identical. Service dogs are trained to perform different tasks to detect or interrupt certain behaviors of their handlers. Emotional support dogs provide emotional support to their owner and are not trained to perform specific tasks necessarily. Therapy dogs are trained to visit different locations and behave appropriately with different people.
Chemistry: Did you receive any feedback on your recent visit to chemistry that you’d like to share?
WICTO: The visit was very successful and we had a great turnout from members of the chemistry department. Those who came by the event said that they appreciated the visit.
Chemistry: Do you have plans to return or expand the program?
WICTO: We are aiming to offer this event once per academic year! Due to our limited budget, we only have funds to bring in therapy dogs for 1 visit a year. (Sunshine receives a $200 donation for each visit).
Chemistry: Thank you so much for talking to us today. One final question--how can people get involved with programs like this one?
WICTO: Anyone can become involved with WICTO to help put on events for the chemistry community. They can check out our website and get in touch with us if they want to know more! If folks have a dog and want to participate as a volunteer with Sunshine Therapy Dogs, there is information for volunteers on their website.
