A therapist sits silently, staring but not saying a word. Maybe it’s just a technique. His dark eyes seem to peer right into his patient’s soul, as though he truly understands the deepest of troubles. They’ve never even had a conversation.

Then he licks the patient and rubs his head into his lap. No, he’s not a strange, new-aged doctor, he’s a therapy dog named Luke.

“He makes a real difference around here,” says music arts student, Seth Voliere. “He definitely makes everyone happier.”

This is a common theme among students at NSCC Waterfront and IT campuses. Luke’s handler, Glenn Loranger, had him certified through St. John’s Ambulance last year. “It’s more of testing than training,” says Loranger “They just need to see if they have the right temperament.”

Loranger has been taking Luke to the two campuses for the past two years, brightening the days of students and helping reduce their stress.

“For a moment in time, it brings strangers together,” says Loranger. “Students don’t always have much in common but this is one thing.”

Luke was 10 months old and badly abused when Glenn found him, “He’d been beaten with a two-by-four and was abandoned in the snow.”

www.servicedog.ca lists three types of therapy dogs and Luke is a therapeutic visitation animal. This typically means the owner wants to share the joy of companionship with other people and visit specified locations to lend a paw.

“Therapy dogs can help lower blood pressure, alleviate anxiety, improve mood and even teach children to read,” according to the Canadian Service Dog Foundation. That’s why Glenn comes to the Waterfront campus at least once a week.

You can find Luke with his signature white handkerchief in the atrium of the NSCC Waterfront campus. He’s usually surrounded by smiling students like Owen Williams. “Everyone is in a good mood when he’s around.”