VCU news

Dogs from the VCU Dogs on Call program participated last week in Pups on the Plaza to raise money for VCU’s Center for Human-Animal Interaction (CHAI).

Held in the Egyptian Building courtyard, the event raised $2,500 by selling food, snacks, CHAI merchandise and tickets for a prize drawing.

Dogs on Call, one of many CHAI programs, has 32 active therapy dog teams that regularly visit patients in the VCU Medical Center. Last year, more than 2,000 patients and families received visits. Dogs on Call also provided a de-stress event for students on both of VCU’s campuses during exam week with more than 90 percent of student participants reporting reduced stress as a result of interacting with the therapy dogs.

CHAI relies primarily on donations to support Dogs On Call, educational and research activities. The Center for Human-Animal Interaction promotes research, clinical practice and educational activities related to the human-animal relationship.

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