Third Pete's Pet Posse Tulsa class graduates

Eight new pet therapy dogs officially joined Pete's Pet Posse Tulsa during a Barkalaureate ceremony on March 29.

The group is the third class of P3T dogs and handlers who will serve at OSU-Tulsa and OSU Center for Health Sciences. The pet therapy dogs will be greeters and campus ambassadors and will be available for clinical or crisis situations.

Dogs and handlers go through a rigorous process of training and testing before their selection as P3T members.

The third class of P3T dogs and handlers are:

• Augustus (Gus) and Kelsey Ryan, executive assistant for academic relations at OSU-Tulsa;
• Boone and Dr. Kathy Curry, associate professor of educational leadership at OSU-Tulsa;
• Caia and Jamie Edford, senior manager of marketing and communications services at OSU-Tulsa;
• Cleveland and Dr. Shannon Hillier, vice chair of the Department of Psychiatry and clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at OSU-CHS;
• Jasper and Danielle Brown, Wellness Center attendant at OSU-Tulsa;
• Frankie and Dr. Laura Barnes, associate professor of educational research, evaluation, measurement and statistics at OSU-Tulsa;
• Maggie and Dr. Krista Schumacher, coordinator of rural research and grant development at the OSU Center for Rural Health at OSU-CHS, and;
• Sunny and Kathy Williams, recruitment specialist for academic relations at OSU-Tulsa.

The goal of the program is to positively enhance physical and emotional health and contribute to the success of America’s Healthiest Campus Initiative launched in 2014.

P3T began in 2015 and is an expansion of the program launched at OSU-Stillwater as part of the university’s America’s Healthiest Campus wellness initiative.

To learn more about P3T, visit the program website.