Millie the golden retriever, with her "mom", Kelly Wilson, sit in front of the Glenhill Farmhouse. Millie is training to be an emotional support dog.
Behrend’s Newest Emotional Support Specialist is a Great Listener Who Loves Long Walks, Belly Rubs, and Bananas
If you visit Erie Hall on a weekday, it’s not unusual to find a group of students gathered around the front desk. They’re not looking for information or equipment, but rather the chance to say hello to Behrend’s emotional support specialist, Millie, a one-yearold golden retriever who enjoys endless attention from students, staff, and faculty.
“Millie loves her job,” said Kelly Wilson, the campus recreation manager and Millie’s “mom,” who brings Millie to work with her every day. “The worst days for Millie are Saturday and Sunday. I thought she’d like to relax on weekends, but she just wants to go to work. She lives for Mondays.”
Millie’s role at Behrend was serendipitous. Last summer, on the day Wilson decided she was going to get a golden retriever puppy, she ran into Melissa Sulkowski, director of the Counseling Center. Wilson mentioned her plans, and Sulkowski told her that she was in the middle of submitting paperwork to request an emotional support dog for Erie Hall.
“Millie’s future was determined that day, before I had even picked her up,” Wilson said.
And she was the perfect choice. Millie excels at offering exactly what her visitors need: a quick hello before heading to the gym, a walk in the fresh air (students can “check” her out for walks), or even a shoulder to cry on. “
One day, a student who regularly checks Millie out for walks came back without her,” Wilson said. “They were walking around when they saw another student sitting on a bench who was upset and in tears. Millie immediately pulled toward this student, sat down, and refused to leave her side.”
Wilson said they stayed on the bench until the student was ready to face the day.
Emotional support animals have become invaluable on college campuses, offering relief from homesickness, stress, and loneliness.
“Millie brings a lot of joy and peace to students— many of whom miss their own pets,” Wilson said. “When we walk around campus, nearly every student greets her, whether by name or with a smile. It’s hard to stay in a bad mood around Millie.”
Millie’s talents go beyond offering comfort. She’s also been an educational aid.
“We have a nursing student who has taken Millie to biology lectures, tabling events, and class,” Wilson said. “But my favorite interaction between her and Millie was when the student was practicing for her Licensed Practical Nurse exam. She would be tested on meeting with a patient from start to finish, so she used Millie as her patient. It was amazing to see how relaxed she became while working through her script with Millie.”
Though Millie doesn’t get a paycheck, she certainly gets benefits. She loves Fresh Fruit Fridays at Erie Hall, when she gets her weekly banana. But, as Wilson said, her preferred currency is attention.
“If you’re sitting and petting her, and you stop, she’ll nudge you to keep going,” Wilson said. “She loves being the center of attention.”
While there will be fewer students with her this summer, Millie won’t be bored. She’ll be taking classes to become a certified therapy dog.
Not all dogs make the cut, but with her year of experience supporting the Behrend community, we’re confident that Millie will be golden.