West Virginia Dog Names

Three well known dogs in West Virginia are West Virginia University (WVU) therapy dogs, named Marlon Brando, Gretel and Omega. All three of the dogs work hard on campus to help students, faculty and staff relax and feel comfortable.

Brando is a white Australian Labradoodle who is the therapy dog for WVU’s Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering. Gretel is the therapy dog for the Center for Psychological and Psychiatric Services and Omega is with the Reed College of Media. Each dog has numerous fans on campus as well as their own Twitter accounts.

Gretel, a black and white Labradoodle, is described as kind and calm. While she had the right temperament to work as a service dog, she weighed 42 pounds at the age of two, considered too small for the job. A counselor for the Center, Deb Beazley, was asked to be the therapy dog handler with the goal of a therapy dog making the center more welcoming. Gretel began in her new role in the summer of 2014, the first dog at the school ready to greet anyone visiting the Center. The dog can wander as she likes and interact with clients, who often request that she join in a counseling session.

Brando was born in Australia, arriving in North Carolina as a puppy. The pooch was donated to the program at around the age of two; his former owners seeking a place where he could interact with people. His relaxed temperament made him a fit for a therapy dog, however his training would have been lengthy since he did not begin as a puppy. Michelle Poland, who operates the College’s Engineering Learning Center and advises 200-300 freshman, focuses on the well-being of students. Poland took in Brando after he trained for six weeks and he joined her two kids and four cats, joining her at work daily. He is making an impact; when looking at retention or grades, the school is seeing a positive response. According to Poland, students come in just to see him, where they can sit and play with him for a few minutes. Brando typically has a filled social calendar that includes group visits, house calls to dorms and conferences.

The newest member of the therapy dog team is Omega, a black Standard Poodle who roams the hallways of the Reed College of Media. While Omega is the ideal size of a service dog, because she loved people so much she would approach anyone who came near her. As a service dog, she would have not been able to seek attention, remaining only with her person. Interacting with people all day is an ideal fit for Omega, who lives with Diana Martinelli, an associate dean and professor.

All three dogs are successful at their jobs; relieving stress and providing comfort to those at the University.