October 8, 2023

Dr. Nancy Gee completed an extensive interview for the podcast Bestie Bonds.  To listen, use the link below.

Henry, A. J. (Host). (2023, October 8). Unleashing well-being [Audio podcast episode]. In Beastiebonds. https://beastiebonds.com/episodes/unleashing-well-being-344

September 25, 2023

Barker, S. (2023, September 25). Therapy dogs in hospitals: Challenges and need for veterinary involvement [Presentation]. Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech.

September 21, 2023

Gee, N.R. (2023, September 21). Loneliness, social isolation, and companion animals [Presentation]. Pet Week on Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. https://petnight.com/view-session?v=dd764081-1c16-11ee-850b-008cfa0325cc

September 19, 2023

National Geographic interviewed Dr. Nancy Gee for an HAI article!

Austin, D. (2023, September 19). Do pets really make people happier and healthier? National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/premium/article/benefits-pet-dog-ownership-mental-health

September 1, 2023

Gee, N. R., Townsend, L., Findling, R. L. (2023, September). How companion animals can participate in treatment of mental illness.  Psychiatric News, 58(9), 23-26. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2023.09.9.35

September 9, 2023

Townsend, L., Towsley, N., & Gee, N.R. (2023, September 3). "Dogs on Call": A community-engaged human subjects training with hospital based therapy dog teams. Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics, 18(5), 363-371. https://doi.org/10.1177/15562646231191962

August 19, 2023

Dr. Nancy Gee was interviewed on HAI for BBC Global News's The Happy Pod.  To interview begins at ~22 minutes and 55 seconds.

Leonard, J. (Host). (2023, August 19). The disabled TV director pushing for change [Audio podcast episode].  In The Happy Pod. BBC Global News. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0g7jxtd

August 19, 2023

Dr. Gee was interviewed for the Weekly Dose of Wonder on NPR's nationally syndicated radioshow All Things Considered!

Godoy, M. (2023, August 2). Weekly Dose of Wonder: Spending time with a dog can be good for your health [Radio broadcast]. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2023/08/02/1191671789/weekly-dose-of-wonder-spending-time-with-a-dog-can-be-good-for-your-health

July 13, 2023

Gee, N. R. (2023, July 13). 'D' is for dog. How trained reading dogs support literacy programs [Webinar]. International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations.

May 18, 2024

WTVR CBS6. (2023, May 18). Dogs on Call visit CBS 6 [Video]. Yahoo! Life. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/dogs-call-visit-cbs-6-150419862.html

April 13, 2023

Tupponce, J. (2023, April 13). New book highlights VCU Dogs on Call as a model program: VCU School of Medicine faculty edit a new book on how animals may help in the treatment of mental illness. The book is the first of its kind published by the American Psychiatric Association. VCU News. https://www.vcuhealth.org/news/new-book-highlights-vcu-dogs-on-call-as-a-model-program

April 4, 2023

Gee, N.R. (2023, April 4). Best practice standards in AAI - Risk Assessment [Presentation]. Animal Assisted Intervention and Interactions Certificate Program at the University of North Florida.

March 27, 2023

Hoy-Gerlach, J., & Townsend, L. (2023, March 27). Reimagining healthcare: Human–animal bond support as a primary, secondary, and tertiary public health intervention. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(7). http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20075272

March 3, 2023

Dr. Nancy Gee was featured in the podcast Psychiatry Unbound, published by American Psychiatric Association publishing.

Roberts, L. (Host). (2023, March 3). Companion Animals [Audio podcast episode]. In Psychiatry Unbound. American Psychiatric Association Publishing. https://psychiatryonline.org/psychiatry-unbound/022-companion-animals

March 1, 2023

Rodriguez, K.E., Green, F.L.L., Binfet, J., Towsend, L., Gee, N. R. (2023, March). Complexities and considerations in conducting animal-assisted intervention research: A discussion of randomized controlled trials. Human-Animal Interactions. https://doi.org/10.1079/hai.2023.000

March 3, 2023

VCU News features an article about Dogs on Call and the four-week, fourth-year elective rotation that medical students are able to complete at the Center for Human-Animal Interaction.

Kruszewski, J. (2023, March 3). Rounds with hounds: Medical students research and participate in dog therapy via VCU’s Center for Human-Animal Interaction. VCU News. https://news.vcu.edu/article/2023/03/medical-students-research-dog-therapy-via-vcus-center-for-human-animal-interaction

March 10, 2023

Rodriguez, K.E., Green, F.L.L., Binfet, J., Townsend, L., Gee, N.R. (2023, March). Complexities and considerations in conducting animal-assisted intervention research: A discussion of randomized controlled trials. Human-Animal Interactions. https://doi.org/10.1079/hai.2023.0004

March 3, 2023

Dr. Gee was recently interviewed on the American Psychiatric Association's official podcast, Psychiatry Unbound.  Dr. Gee discussed her recent book, The Role of Companion Animals in the Treatment of Mental Disorders and the episode can be listened to for free using the link below.

Roberts, L. (Host). (2023, March 3). Companion Animals (22) [Audio podcast episode]. In Psychiatry Unbound. American Psychiatric Association Publishing. https://psychiatryonline.org/psychiatry-unbound/022-companion-animals

March 2, 2023

ABC8 interviewed Dr. Gee and some of our wonderful Dogs on Call teams about CHAI's Dogs on Call therapy dog program.

Barefoot, A. (2023, March 2). ‘Dogs on Call’ brings paw-sitivity to VCU’s Medical Center. WRIC ABC8 News. https://www.wric.com/community/positively-richmond/dogs-on-call-brings-paw-sitivity-to-vcus-medical-center/

February 14, 2023

Take a look at another wonderful Dogs on Call Valentine's Day video, produced by VCU's Enterprise Marketing and Communications: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkmO1THDoA8

February 10, 2023

CHAI's Director, Dr. Nancy Gee, was interviewed by Richmond Magazine about the benefits of therapy dogs in educational settings.

Small, L. (2023, February 10). Head of the pack. Richmond Magazine. https://richmondmagazine.com/news/education/dogs-in-classrooms/

February 5, 2023

Richmond Magazine recognized our Dogs on Call program and the other wonderful programs in the area.

Egocheaga, A. (2023, February 5). A shot of cheer. Richmond Magazine. https://richmondmagazine.com/news/sunday-story/a-shot-of-cheer/

February 1, 2023

Congratulation to CHAI's Director, CHAI's Clinical and Research Associate, and to the chair of VCU's Department of Psychiatry on the publication of their most recent book!  The Role of Companion Animals in the Treatment of Mental Disorders is the first book of its kind that is published by the American Psychiatric Association!

Gee, N.R., Townsend, L., & Findling, R. (Eds). (2023). The role of companion animals in the treatment of mental disorders. American Psychiatric Association. 

All of the editors for this book have donated their royalties to the Center for Human-Animal Animal Interaction; every purchase supports CHAI and Dogs on Call!  Copies are available for purchase from several major book sellers, including that you can purchase directly from the American Psychiatric Association using this link: https://www.appi.org/Products/General-Interest/Role-of-Companion-Animals-in-the-Treatment-of-Ment

December 25, 2022

Friedmann, E., Gee, N.R., Simonsick, E.M., Barr, E., Resnick, B., Werthman, E., & Adesanya, I. (2022). Pet ownership and maintenance of physical function in older adults - evidence from the Baltimore longitudinal study of aging (BLSA). Innovation in Aging. https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igac080

October 14, 2022

Dr. Gee was recently interviewed by With Good Reason, a podcast that is heavily syndicated across the United States on NPR.

McConnell, S. (Executive Producer). (2022, October 14). The Pets We Love [Audio podcast episode]. In With Good Reason. Virginia Humanities. https://www.withgoodreasonradio.org/episode/the-pets-we-love/

August 4, 2022

As a leading expert on Human-Animal Interaction, CHAI's Dr. Gee was selected to help author an article that endeavored to more-clearly define foundational HAI terminology.

Howell, T.J., Nieforth, L., Thomas-Pino, C., Samet, L., Agbonika, S., Cuevas-Pavincich, F., Fry, N.E., … Gee, N.R. et al. (2022). Defining terms used for animals working in support roles for people with support needs. Animals, 12(15). https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12151975

July 29, 2022

Brelsford, V.L., Dimolareva, M., Rowan, E., Gee, N.R., Meints, K. (2022). Can dog-assisted and relaxation interventions boost spatial ability in children with and without special educational needs? A longitudinal, randomized controlled trial. Frontiers in Pediatrics 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2022.886324

July 5, 2022

Meints, K., Brelsford, V.L., Dimolareva, M., Maréchal, L., Pennington, K., Rowan, E., Gee, N.R. (2022). Can dogs reduce stress levels in school children? effects of dog-assisted interventions on salivary cortisol in children with and without special educational needs using randomized controlled trials. PLOS ONE 17(6): e0269333. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0269333

June 22, 2022

Allen, Allen, Allen, & Allen and CBS6 recognized one of CHAI's Dogs on Call handlers as a "Hometown Hero."

Allen, Allen, Allen, & Allen. (2022). Allen & Allen Hometown Heroes 2022. https://www.allenandallen.com/about/communityinvolvement/hometown-heroes-2022/ 

June 14, 2022

Dr. Sandra Barker, the founding director of CHAI, was featured in an article about the potential benefits of interacting with pets.  Dr. Barker reviews some of the evidence supporting that those who interact with pets experience less stress, and also makes reference to some of her own research.

May 2, 2022

CHAI and Dr. Nancy Gee featured in Everyday Health. Click here for more!

September 6, 2021

CHAI research and Dr. Randolph Barker featured in Forbes. Click here for more!

June 23, 2021

Dr. Randolph Barker, professor of management in the VCU School of Business and long time support of the Center for Human-Animal Interaction, was featured in the Telluride News article "Take Your Dog to Work Day."

To read the entire article, click here!

May 21, 2021

In the magazine Mind Over Matter, published by Women's Brain Health Initiative, Dr. Nancy Gee was interviewed in reference to the article "Animal Attraction: Pets can be Therapeutic for the Body & Soul".

May 25, 2021

A satellite media tour featuring CHAI Executive Director Dr. Nancy Gee was launched to promote upcoming research on animal-assisted therapy and loneliness. 

May 19, 2021

In an announcement event by Waltham Petcare Science Institute, it was announced that the Center for Human-Animal Interaction and the Dogs On Call program will be carrying out research that is "...an important step forward in answering key questions related to the possible impact of animal therapy on patients' recovery time and healthcare costs." To read the entire article and to watch the announcement video, click here!

May 17, 2021

Dr. Nancy Gee Featured in University Business

March 31, 2021

In a story written by Tracy Sears, the Dogs On Call staff and teams were featured on Channel 6 News WTVR. 

March 23, 2021

The Straights Times features Dr. Nancy Gee in "Learn How Furry Friends can Help with Therapy" 

February 16, 2021

February 10, 2021

The Dogs On Call program was featured in the article "A Look at How the VCU Community is Sharing the Love and Giving Back in Difficult Times" on the VCU News website! 

August 12, 2020

The Dogs on Call program was featured in an MCV Foundation newsletter story titled "A Doggone Good Story." 

July 29, 2020

CHAI Executive Director Dr. Nancy Gee was featured by the Canadian Institute of Animal-Assisted Interventions

July 8, 2020

Executive Director Dr. Nancy Gee was featured in an article by the NT Bureau titled Elders Owning Pet Dogs can Stay Active, Says Study. 

June 17, 2019

The Center for Human-Animal Interaction is proud to announce the publication of Animal-Assisted Interventions in Health Care Settings: A Best Practices Manual for Establishing New Programs by Purdue University Press.

May 31, 2019

May 11, 2019

April 29, 2019

Paws for Stress events were held with original campus-wide event at Student Commons, Honors College, Athletics and the School of Pharmacy. 

April 12, 2019

April 13, 2019

December 7, 2018

November 3, 2018

November 2, 2018

Dogs On Call invites all who are interested to learn more about how to become a volunteer therapy dog team!

November 1, 2018

Tuesday, November 13th from 11:30-1:30pm, Gateway Ground Lobby

Friday, November 30th from 11:00-12:30pm, Main 1, The Learning Center

Tuesday, December 14th from 11:30-1:30pm, Main 1, The Learning Center

Friday, January 11th from 11:30-1:30pm, Main 1, The Learning Center

October 30, 2018

The Center for Human-Animal Interaction partners with VCU University Counseling Services and the Student Government Association to provide Virginia Commonwealth University Students with a chance to relax with therapy dogs before midterms. 

October 11, 2018

September 27, 2018

The official Pups on the Plaza 2018 Event T-Shirt is here!

August 13, 2018

July 3, 2018

The Center for Human-Animal Interaction thanks its sponsors.

May 19, 2018

May 1, 2018

April 13, 2018

April 3, 2018

The Rotary Club of Richmond provides Dogs On Call with a $5,000 grant.

March 12, 2018

The Center for Human-Animal Interaction again partners with VCU University Counseling Services and the Student Government Association to provide Virginia Commonwealth University Students with a chance to relax with therapy dogs before midterms.

March 2, 2018

The Petco Foundation is supporting Dogs On Call for a second year to reach even more patients in need with a generous grant.

February 16, 2018

February 10, 2018

January 5, 2018

November 3, 2017

Tuesday, November 7th from 11:30-1:30pm, Gateway Ground Lobby

Friday, November 17th from 11:30-1:30pm, Main 1 Kiosk

Friday, December 1st from 11:30-1:30pm, Main 1 Learning Center

Friday, December 15th from 11:30-1:30pm, Children’s Pavilion Sky Lobby

Friday, January 5th from 11:30-1:30pm, Main 1 Learning Center

October 4, 2017

Thank you to PetSmart Charities for continued support!

September 28, 2017

The 5th annual Pups on the Plaza event brought members of the VCU, VCU Health, VCU School of Medicine and greater Richmond community together for an afternoon of delicious food, celebration and fun with volunteers from the Dogs On Call therapy dog program to fundraise for The Center.

August 29, 2017

The official Pups on the Plaza 2017 Event T-Shirt is here!

July 28, 2017

The Center for Human-Animal Interaction's Annual Pups on the Plaza event will be on Thursday, September 28th from 11am-2pm! 

May 4, 2017

Dogs On Call invites all interested community members to learn more about volunteering as a therapy dog team!

May 2, 2017

The Center for Human-Animal Interaction partners with VCU University Counseling Services and the Student Government Association to provide VCU Students with a stress-relieving study break with the Dogs on Call therapy dogs.  

April 21, 2017

Our Dogs On Call therapy dogs and volunteers were honored to participate in Donate Life America's Blue Green Day in partnership with the VCU Hume-Lee Transplant Center to Celebrate Life at VCU Health!

March 26, 2017

Our Dogs On Call were chosen by Maymont to participate in the Re-Opening of the Maymont Children's Farm on March 26th.

March 14, 2017

The Center for Human-Animal Interaction partners with VCU University Counseling Services and the Student Government Association to bring Dogs On Call therapy dog teams to VCU students at Monroe Park Campus ahead of midterms. 

February 24, 2017

The Petco Foundation recently awarded a $20,000 grant to Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine’s Center for Human-Animal Interaction.

February 24, 2017

The Petco Foundation is helping Dogs On Call extend our reach to countless patients in need with a generous grant.

January 6, 2017

Dogs On Call teams up again with Local PetSmart store #1051 to provide donated stuffed animals to patients in need for the second year.

December 21, 2016

Local tails will wag on Jan. 1 when Animal Planet features Virginia Commonwealth University’s Dogs on Call program as part of its new series, “Dogs: The Untold Story.”

December 19, 2016

The generosity of Tony Stewart Foundation grants our volunteer teams the opportunity to improve the health and well being of others through human-animal interaction.

December 5, 2016

The Center for Human-Animal Interaction partners with VCU University Counseling Services and the Student Government Association to help relieve stress prior to finals with the help of the Dogs on Call therapy dogs. Held at The Student Commons on the Monroe Park Campus, students visited with the dogs while Virginia Book Company provided free scantrons and blue books to students for exams. 

October 31, 2016

Sales and information about the beautiful Dogs On Call 2017 Calendar!

Friday, November 11^th

11:30am-1:30pm, Kiosk,

Main 1 beside Medical Records

Friday, December 2^nd

11:30am-1:30pm, The Learning Center,

Main 1 across from Au Bon Pain

Thursday, December 22^nd

11:30am-1:30pm, The Learning Center,

Main 1 across from Au Bon Pain

October 31, 2016

The Center for Human-Animal Interaction partners with VCU University Counseling Services and the Student Government Association to bring Dogs On Call therapy dog teams to VCU students at Monroe Park Campus. Virginia Book Company provided free scantrons and blue books to students for exams. 

October 19, 2016

The Center for Human-Animal Interaction and its therapy dog program, Dogs On Call, are featured by Mission Critical Health as models for animal-assisted interventions in an acute health care setting.

September 29, 2016

The 4th annual Pups on the Plaza event brought members of the VCU, VCU Health, and greater Richmond community together for an afternoon of hotdogs, celebration and fun with volunteers from the Dogs On Call therapy dog program.

August 30, 2016

The Center for Human-Animal hosts the fourth annual Pups On The Plaza event.

June 28, 2016

The Center for Human-Animal Interaction forms a new research affiliate group.

April 25, 2016

Dogs On Call invites all interested community members to learn more about volunteering as a therapy dog team!

April 1, 2016

TONY STEWART FOUNDATION: Helping Children through Animals

February 9, 2016

Dogs On Call teams up with Local PetSmart store #1051 to deliver donated stuffed toys to patients in need.

December 25, 2015

We wish you Happy Holidays, and a bright and healthy New Year!

November 2, 2015

Sales and information about the beautiful Dogs On Call 2016 Calendar!

September 17, 2015

The 3rd annual Pups on the Plaza event brought members of the VCU, VCU Health, and greater Richmond community together for an afternoon of hotdogs, music and fun with volunteers from the Dogs On Call therapy dog program.

August 18, 2015

Tickets and Event T-Shirts available now for Pups on the Plaza 2015!

July 15, 2015

Dr. Sandra Barker presents to an international group of medical students on Animal Assisted Therapy. 

June 23, 2015

Dogs On Call teams joined Center staff for the annual Volunteer Meeting and Appreciation Dinner. 

April 22, 2015

Therapy dog teams make special book deliveries to pediatrics patients in celebration of Earth Day. 

March 19, 2015

Virginia lawmakers welcome Dogs On Call to The General Assembly.

December 11, 2014

The Center for Human-Animal Interaction partners with VCU University Counseling Services and the Student Government Association to bring Dogs On Call therapy dog teams to VCU students at Monroe Park Campus.