Dog Days are Over with Return of Doggy Days to UTA Libraries

Mavericks celebrated the return of Doggy Days on Sept. 8 at the University of Texas at Arlington Libraries.

The event mainstay allows students to sign up for a fifteen-minute time slot with the therapy dog of their choice. Each monthly meeting offers sessions with three to five different dogs, and students can pet or snuggle the dogs while learning more about them from their handlers.

“We know how important our Doggy Days events are to the wellbeing and just general happiness of our students,” said Milaun Murry, Experiential Learning Librarian. “It’s exciting to be able to bring them back for the Fall 2021 semester. We hope that students will embrace the opportunity to take a break from their busy schedules to pause with some paws and destress in the Libraries.”

Hosted on the sixth floor of Central Library, students congregated in the Atrium while awaiting their turn with one of three dogs: Sassy, a mini dachshund; Lucy, a West Highland Terrier; or Henley, an Australian Shepherd.

Jenna Leatherman, a junior studying early childhood education, heard about the event in her First Year Experience class.

“We were talking about all the things in the Libraries…specifically dogs, and that got my attention,” Leatherman said. “I was asking questions and my friends actually didn’t know about it, so we all three signed up for a spot.”

Leatherman was surprised by the variety of dogs at Doggy Days and made a particular connection with Henley.

“I really like big dogs,” Leatherman said. “Since [Henley] is so playful, I think that was more fun than…[a dog] that would just sit there and relax.”

When asked if she would recommend other Mavericks attend Doggy Days, her loyalty to her community was tested.

“Yes, but also I want to come, and there is only a certain number of spots,” Leatherman said, laughing. “So not too many people.”

The next Doggy Days event is scheduled for Oct. 6. Sign ups should become available about two weeks ahead of the event.