Rocco is an eight-year-old English cream who has been a therapy dog for the past seven years. He works in various settings such as schools, libraries and hospitals, where he can reduce stress in both youth and adults. Rocco has worked as a therapy dog at Redwood for a few years and he has helped many students across campus by reducing their stress.

Kim Shaplen, Rocco’s owner, says Rocco gets a lot of attention when he works, which he adores. 

“We go into the library and people just come in and sit down,” Shaplen said. “[They] tell him how handsome he is.”

Sophomore Zoe Parker enjoys seeing therapy dogs at school. 

“I love seeing Holly around campus because she reminds me of [my dog], and I love dogs so it’s really cool to see them around Redwood,” said Parker.

Rocco’s training began when he was accepted into the Marin Humane class after the staff tested to ensure that he was not too energetic or unfocused. He then took a 10-week class focused on teaching Rocco to focus on his owner while facing various obstacles designed to distract the working dog.

 “They would put wheelchairs in the rooms and have gurneys come by to see if the dog would react to it,” said Shaplen.

Though the two have worked together for years, many people don’t realize that Rocco is Shaplen’s dog. 

“A lot of people think that this is not my dog, when we show up, they think that maybe it’s a guide dog, but the reason it’s a cool program is because it is your dog,” said Shaplen.

Shaplen has noticed the success and impact of therapy dogs recently, and she hopes they will continue to become more popular in the future due to their current impact. 

“You’re seeing more and more therapy dogs in schools, in hospitals, in places where people are confined. because they’re finding that they can do such good work,” Shaplen said.

In addition to Parker, many students love the presence of having a dog on campus, including sophomore Maddie Demos. 

“Whenever I see a dog at school it makes my day better because I can pet it and take my mind off of school even if it’s only for a few minutes,” said DeMos.

In addition to bringing joy to students at schools, Rocco visits hospitals and helps people who miss their dogs by providing something to remind them of their own dog. 

“A lot of times they’ll end up talking to me about their dogs,” Shaplen said. “Just having Rocco there is sort of a nice presence.”

Shaplen believes that therapy dogs have a huge impact on people’s stress levels and mental health. 

“They’ve done so many studies about how just being around dogs can be soothing and relaxing and lower your blood pressure,” said Shaplen.

According to a campus safety magazine, 60 percent of U.S. colleges and universities have pet therapy programs. 

“They’re using dogs a lot more in schools to lower stress levels and that’s kind of what Rocco and I do,” said Shaplen.

Rocco’s impact on students and patients over the years has had an impact on many lives, even if it is small. He and Shaplin hope to continue to improve the mental health and stress levels of those they visit as their work continues in the future.