Virginia Tech therapy dog beloved by students receives honorary doctorate

Moose in his graduation cap. — (Image credit: Courtesy of Virginia Tech)

Call him Dr. Moose.

Moose is an 8-year-old therapy dog at Virginia Tech's Cook Counseling Center. Raised by Guiding Eyes for the Blind in New York, he was adopted by Dr. Trent Davis, a counselor and coordinator of Virginia Tech's Animal-Assisted Therapy program. Moose started working on campus six years ago, and during his time at Virginia Tech, has participated in more than 7,500 individual and group counseling sessions and over 500 outreach events, helping students with anxiety and trauma and serving as an ambassador for mental health awareness.

To thank Moose for everything he has done to bring comfort to students, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in veterinary medicine last Friday from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. He's used to getting accolades — in 2019, Moose was named an Animal Hero by the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association. When he's not working with students, Moose can be found playing tug of war, swimming, or eating.

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.