A Companion
By Becky St. Clair
Hadley is a mini Bernadoodle (Bernese mountain dog crossed with a poodle) who lives in Hadley Hall, the girls’ residence hall at Potomac Conference’s Shenandoah Valley Academy in New Market, Va. “She comes up to about your knees, she has lots of energy and a great personality, and she’s just a delight,” comments Kim Hunt, girls’ dean.
Though Hadley isn’t an official therapy dog, Hunt says her presence is naturally a positive one for the hall residents. In addition to being a friendly face in and around the residence hall, Hadley is also allowed to sleep in the girls’ rooms, particularly if they’re having trouble sleeping.
“When a girl is closed or hurting or even just having a down day for a reason they can’t or don’t want to verbalize, having a dog to love on is a source of connection and comfort they sometimes can’t get from people,” she explains. “Sometimes they don’t want to talk to an adult, and having the physical touch from a dog is meaningful. They don’t feel like they’re asking for help or pulling someone else into their problem when they’re interacting with an animal.”
Angelisa Andrade, a practicum and internship coordinator for the Counseling and Psychology Department at Washington Adventist University in Takoma Park, Md., and a licensed therapist, points out that being around an animal, especially if it is one you are emotionally close to, can aid in the release of oxytocin, the bonding hormone that lowers cortisol and reduces anxiety, stress and depressive symptoms. It’s the same hormone released if you hug someone for 30 seconds.
And even though they can’t express it the same way a human could, it is clear many animals are insightful and perceptive enough to pick up on someone else’s emotions and respond accordingly. “There are countless times I’ve gotten home not feeling in a great mood, and my dogs instinctively know to just curl up on the chair next to me, not being too loud or rambunctious, and just stay with me,” Andrade shares. “Sometimes all we need is just to have that comforting presence.”
Andrade adds, “In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were asked to be caretakers of the creatures. It was part of God’s design that humans and animals would have symbiotic connections.”
Hunt concludes, “An animal gives unconditional love, and being the recipient of that love can be lifechanging."
Read articles from the September-October 2026 Visitor:
Add new comment