Anytime that students who had been petting Macie while she was lying down started to leave, she’d flip over and expose her belly for petting so that they had to stay. It worked every. single. time.
We paint rocks and leave them around campus periodically throughout the semester as well. Some, like this one, reference a specific HAPPEE pup: “Blue the Great Dane says ‘YOU’RE great!'”
Most of the rocks disappear into dorms & apartments quickly, although some students prefer to leave them where they are so that other students can enjoy them too.
And Blue the Great Dane truly is a big fan of all the Carolina students!
This is a common sight when we are on campus. 
The bigger the dog, the more students that will fit around them.
We have all sizes of dogs – from Tot the 4 lb minpin-chihuahua mix to Blue the Great Dane, and they are all awesome.
Each Hugs & Pups team carries a sign to identify themselves to students. While volunteers don’t always pose for the camera (*cough* Noel-Beth *cough*), there are always at least two adults with each dog to offer a parent-type hug to any student who would like one. Each team usually encounters at least one student on each stroll who breaks into tears during a parent hug, but they are almost always smiling by the time they walk away.
The human members of our Hugs and Pups teams find volunteering to be a wonderful way to spend a morning or afternoon. Students are delighted to see the dogs and often welcome a good parent hug, and it is truly hard to describe how good it feels to be able to bring hugs and pups to these stressed out young adults.
The dogs love their time on campus (they are lonely over school breaks!) although it is exhausting for them. After all, they do the heavy lifting of providing students with emotional support. On the way home, they invariably fall asleep in the car, and often sleep for much of the next 24 hours or so.
It takes a lot of volunteers – both with and without dogs of their own – to send at least one team to campus three times a week throughout the school year. If you would like to join us, please reach out to us via email ([email protected]), this website, or any of our social media accounts.
Hugs & Pups Stroll – page 1
Hugs & Pups Stroll – page 2
Hugs & Pups Stroll – page 3