Buckeye Paws expands to support students, faculty and staff on campus

Buckeye Paws is a program founded in March 2020 at the Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State to support the mental health of the medical staff, but will expand its services to the Columbus campus Monday. Credit: Credit: Jessica Langer | Campus LTV Producer

The dogs are coming out to play — or, in Ohio State’s case, help support the mental health of the Buckeye community on campus. 

Mary Justice, co-founder of Buckeye Paws — a program founded in March 2020 at the Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State to support the mental health of the medical staff — said the program expanded its services to the Columbus campus Monday for students, faculty and staff. 

“We are really, really hoping to make a big splash in terms of helping our staff, faculty and students through everything that we’re going through and just bring a smile to people’s face when they see us,” Justice said. 

Aimee Mitchell, program manager of Buckeye Paws, said the program currently has 30 volunteer dogs and handlers from the medical center who will come to campus to visit residence hall lobbies, classrooms and events. Students, faculty and staff can request a visit via email with their name, phone number and email, as well as the date, location and time of the visit. 

About 10 handlers and their dogs will be on the Oval at 10 a.m. Tuesday to meet with the community, Justice said. 

Buckeye Paws looks to expand to 60 dogs by the end of the year, Mitchell said. The Buckeye Paws Advisory Board hopes to hire 30 handlers who are students, faculty or staff because they would be able to recognize and understand the stresses experienced on campus.

Each team will undergo training, as well as the certification process, Mitchell said. Handlers must carry an Alliance of Therapy Dogs certification and a Canine Citizens certification to show their personal dogs passed training protocols. 

Mitchell said the Buckeye Paws Advisory Board has been working with University President Kristina M. Johnson for about three months to plan the expansion. She said the university has been very receptive and supportive of the program. 

“I am a firm believer in providing help to everyone, so it was one of my goals to expand, and so it’s kind of great to see it all come to fruition now,” Mitchell said. 

Justice said the program went through a successful trial basis in the fall of 2021, visiting both athletic teams and the College of Engineering. 

“The feeling that you started something that you thought was going to be kind of small and maybe a little bit insignificant, and the impact that it actually has had on people is so much that others want to share it with you, want to share it across the campus of this size. It’s very humbling in so many ways,” Justice said. 

Justice said the program already has requests from the Mansfield campus of Ohio State and hopes to expand the service as it grows. 

“Why not take it out across the state of Ohio?” Justice said. “Let’s not stop here. Let’s just keep going, and I think as a world, as a country and as a world, we need to do more to be kind.”