Who let the dogs out? Why, Speranza Animal Rescue and Delta Sigma Phi, of course! On Thursday, the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity hosted their annual Dog Days philanthropy event, in which Speranza brings their rescued dogs to Britton Plaza and charges Dickinson students $2 to pet them. This year, Speranza brought two pit bulls to campus: Smokey, who wore a ghost costume, and Omi, who sported bat pajamas.
Speranza Animal Rescue is a non-profit rehabilitation center located on a 17.5-acre farm in Mechanicsburg. “Speranza is a no kill shelter,” said volunteer Cheryl LaMaster. “We do have dogs there that will live the rest of their life out in rehab, but we also have foster and adoption programs.” But any animal, not just dogs, can find a safe home at Speranza. According to LaMaster, they rescue the “worst case scenarios,” from former fighting dogs to farm animals destined for slaughter.
Delta Sigma Phi hosts Dog Days in various fraternity chapters nationwide, partnering with local shelters to raise money for the rescue of abused and neglected animals. “Speranza is an animal shelter that we’ve been in partnership with for many years, since before I even joined,” said junior and Theta Lambda chapter president Keegan Conti-Irving. “We bring rescued puppies onto campus and get them some exposure, show them some love, and hopefully one day find them real homes.”
This year’s event was a hit with Dickinsonians. “I woke up really tired, really not feeling it today—this is definitely what I needed,” said Eve Kratzer ‘26. “The dogs really helped my mental health [and] made me feel better.” Natasha Stein ‘25 expressed similar sentiments: “I do have an exam in an hour,” she said, but after meeting Smokey and Omi, “things are going really great.” Mikayla Millison ‘25 said that “I’m in a happy place right now, for sure…you can quote me on that.”
Dog Days continues a larger trend among colleges and universities around the country to treat stress and anxiety with man’s best friend. Elsewhere, this takes the form of “Puppy Rooms,” locations on campus where students can spend time with dogs to alleviate stress caused by academic pressures. Such amenities have existed for over a decade, and if the popularity of last Thursday’s event is any indication, they won’t be going away soon.