Unconditional love
The Therapy Dog Clinic was established in August 2022, after the presence of therapy dogs within the facility, primarily as part of the Children’s Trauma Assessment Center and Resiliency Center for Families and Children, showed research-based efficacy. The clinic is focused on facilitating high-quality animal-assisted interventions throughout WMU and the community.
Therapy dogs have been trained to provide emotional support which positively impacts emotional functioning and communication skills. In short, their job is to help people feel better. Research has shown that therapy dogs can be a calm and supportive presence in unknown or stressful situations. If you want to learn more about what dog therapy entails, please read this article.
Meet Sunny
Sunny is an 9 year old Golden Retriever and weighs about 85 pounds. He has worked as a therapy dog for 7 years and is registered through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs. Sunny holds Canine Good Citizen and Therapy Dog Supreme titles through the American Kennel Club, and has advanced certification through HOPE Animal-Assisted Crisis Response.
Meet Poppy
Poppy is a 5 year old Newfypoo (Newfoundland + Poodle) and weighs 100 pounds. She is registered through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs and holds Canine Good Citizen and Therapy Dog Excellence titles through the American Kennel Club. She also has advanced certification through HOPE Animal Assisted Crisis Response. Poppy is low shedding and considered hypoallergenic.
Meet Mocha
Mocha Bean Puppachino (aka Mocha) is a Newfypoo puppy in training to be a therapy and crisis response dog. She is currently working on her Star Puppy Title through the American Kennel Club, and providing plenty of snuggles and kisses along the way. Mocha is an F1B (second generation, bred back to Poodle), so she is non-shedding and considered hypoallergenic.
In Loving Memory of Oreo
Oreo (2019-2025) was a beloved member of our therapy dog team. He brought joy, comfort, and healing to countless individuals, leaving an indelible mark on everyone he met. Oreo was diagnosed with an aggressive form of lymphoma in early 2025 and, despite treatment, succumbed to it in late March. He is fondly remembered for his gentle spirit and unwavering dedication to many, especially young children, and is deeply missed. Oreo was certified through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, HOPE Animal Assisted Crisis Response, and held Canine Good Citizen, Canine Good Citizen-Advanced and Therapy Dog Excellence titles through the American Kennel Club.
The Therapy Dog Clinic is the only such service in the greater community that has dogs as a permanent fixture within a healthcare facility. Currently, we work across Kalamazoo, Calhoun and Van Buren Counties specializing in children/youth, particularly those who have experienced trauma.
Our Services
The Therapy Dog Clinic provides the following services in the community.
- Consultation on animal assisted services [AAS]
- Facilitation of AAS programming
- Coaching and training of potential therapy dog teams (group or private options)
- Testing and evaluation of potential therapy dog teams – through Alliance of Therapy Dogs
- Visits from the Therapy Dog Clinic team members, as feasible
- Continuing education on AAS
- Animal-assisted pediatric OT (through the Unified Clinics)
- Individual therapy and support group accompaniment (through the Resiliency Center for Assessment and Treatment)
- Available for adjunct support throughout Unified Clinics
All services are provided gratis, unless specified. Donations are welcomed and appreciated.
Trainings and Events
Click here for our upcoming trainings and events.
About the Director
Dr. Angie Moe is a professor of sociology at Western Michigan University with specializations in interpersonal victimization and trauma informed survivorship. As an extension of these interests, she acquired and trained her first therapy dog, Sunny, in 2016. In 2019, Oreo was gifted to her by the Russell family (Mattawan, MI) to do similar work. Poppy joined the pack as a rescue in early 2022. Dr. Moe has thousands of hours of therapy and crisis response handling experience. She is an evaluator for the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, as well as state coordinator for HOPE Animal-Assisted Crisis Response. Dr. Moe is a certified animal-assisted services specialist through Oakland University's Center for Human Animal Interventions and has completed Level 1 Animal Assisted Play Therapy® Training. She is also a facilitator for CISM (critical incident stress management) and a student of the Victoria Stilwell Academy for Dog Training.
Location
We are located inside the Unified Clinics building located on the 3rd floor of 1000 Oakland Drive in room 3055, Kalamazoo MI 49008.
Contact Information
If you are interested in learning more, please contact Dr. Angie Moe at (269) 387-7042 or email uc-therapydogs@wmich.edu .
Giving
If you are interested in making a gift to the Therapy Dog Clinic, please visit here or check out our Amazon wish list. Donations can be put toward supplies regularly used by the therapy dogs (training treats, enrichment toys), items provided to our clients (stuffed animals, coloring books, stickers, fidgets), or scholarships for students, educators, and human service providers who wish to advance their training. Thank you for your consideration.
Resources
Click here for our resource page.
News
WMU using therapy dogs to help children experiencing trauma
Therapy Dogs Visit Senior Day Services
