Our Crowdfunding Groups
Pete's Pet Posse, OSU's Pet Therapy Program, was established as a wellness program in Fall 2013. Through a cooperative effort of the President's Office, OSU College of Veterinary Medicine, OSU Veterinary Medical Hospital, University Counseling, Human Resources, and the Employee Assistance Program, the program has experienced much success and has recently expanded to include OSU-Tulsa and the OSU Center for Health Sciences in Fall 2015.
These animals belong to families of employees and others affiliated with OSU. They are not owned by the university. They live with their humans full time and make the campus a little brighter orange each time their furry feet hit the campus.
There are many documented benefits to Pet Therapy. According to WebMD, pets can be natural mood enhancers and can significantly decrease stress. They also have been proven to be able to decrease blood pressure, cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels, and feelings of loneliness. The pet therapy program seeks to positively enhance physical and emotional health, and contribute to the success of the America's HEALTHIEST Campus®!
Your gift can help offset a variety of maintenance costs including miscellaneous items such as vests, collars, backpacks, and shirts for each pet therapy team - these items are needed during therapy visits to clearly identify pet therapy teams. Training costs are also an expense to the program.
If you are inspired by the work of our Pet Therapy teams and wish to learn more about how you can help with program needs not listed, contact Mandy Heaps, Director of Annual Giving, Leadership Initiatives at mheaps@osugiving.com.
A gift of $10 will cover the cost of the identifying patches for Therapy Dogs.
A gift of $25 will cover the cost of a collar and a leash for one therapy dog.
A gift of $40 will pay for one dog's vest and patches.
A gift of $50 pays for the shirt for the owner/handler and a backpack for the team.
A gift of $300 can completely fund a therapy dog training scholarship including their vest and patches.
The program has a variety of high level needs as it relates to staff, programming, and operations. To discuss additional needs and make an annual leadership level gift, please contact Mandy Heaps mheaps@osugiving.com.