Meet Charlie!

Imagine my surprise and delight when walking through the library before Spring Break and meeting a dog!

Meet Charlie–a sweet and calm Lab/Boxer/Great Dane mix–who is the fur baby of our very own Annette Smith, assistant director of the Counseling Center.

Of course, meeting a dog on campus was a reason to stop, snap a picture, and ask some questions. And a reason to grab a little fur love.

Like most rescues, Charlie’s history is misty.  

“We adopted Charlie as an adult dog, so we are unsure of his age or breed, but our best guess is that he is about 10 years old and definitely a mixed breed,” said Smith.

Originally adopted as an emotional support dog for her daughter, Charlie’s amazing and loving nature immediately became apparent.

“Charlie is such a sweet and calm dog that I thought he would make a great therapy dog,” said Smith. “So, we practiced, took the test, and, in the summer of 2023, Charlie became a certified therapy dog through Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dogs, Inc. in Morris Plains, NJ.”

Smith learned about Bright and Beautiful through Centenary as this is the organization that periodically brings therapy dogs to

campus to bring a little stress relief, especially during midterms and finals.

“We try to invite therapy dogs to Counseling Center tabling events where we have activities and giveaways in addition to the dogs,” said Smith.

Although their presence on campus varies due to the nature that the dogs and their owners are volunteers, therapy dogs are consistently on campus the week before finals during Stress Relief Week, according to Smith.

To date, Charlie’s only gig has been Centenary. Aren’t we lucky?

“My work schedule precludes taking him elsewhere,” said Smith. “However, I have brought him to a yoga retreat and my daughter often takes him along to weekend horse shows.”

Keep an eye on our campus calendar for the dates of Stress Relief Week in April. Or stop by the Counseling Center where you just might find Smith’s sweet pup, Charlie, hanging out waiting for some love.