Bring Back Bungy

Bring Back Bungy

The Issue

We aim to bring Bungy, Appel’s friendly golden retriever, back to work at Appel Health Services. The F&M administration no longer allows Dr. Myers to bring Bungy to the center, despite her status as a registered therapy dog. In 2010, The Diplomat quoted Dr. Myers, speaking about the calming effect Bungy has had on patients since she was a puppy. “Kids were petrified about seeing the doctor, but after meeting Bungy in the waiting room, it was a piece of cake for them,” Myers explained. For years, many F&M students have visited Appel without an appointment, just to spend time with Bungy. Our school is ranked the 4th most academically rigorous college in the country; it’s a stressful place. We hope F&M can remember what other top tier universities (from Harvard Law to Yale Med), already know: interacting with dogs decreases cortisol levels (a stress hormone) and increases endorphins (boosting happiness) in their human friends. With our signatures, we urge the F&M administration to revoke its previous decision, and bring Bungy back to Appel.

avatar of the starter
Liza MunkPetition Starter
Media inquiries
This petition had 508 supporters

The Issue

We aim to bring Bungy, Appel’s friendly golden retriever, back to work at Appel Health Services. The F&M administration no longer allows Dr. Myers to bring Bungy to the center, despite her status as a registered therapy dog. In 2010, The Diplomat quoted Dr. Myers, speaking about the calming effect Bungy has had on patients since she was a puppy. “Kids were petrified about seeing the doctor, but after meeting Bungy in the waiting room, it was a piece of cake for them,” Myers explained. For years, many F&M students have visited Appel without an appointment, just to spend time with Bungy. Our school is ranked the 4th most academically rigorous college in the country; it’s a stressful place. We hope F&M can remember what other top tier universities (from Harvard Law to Yale Med), already know: interacting with dogs decreases cortisol levels (a stress hormone) and increases endorphins (boosting happiness) in their human friends. With our signatures, we urge the F&M administration to revoke its previous decision, and bring Bungy back to Appel.

avatar of the starter
Liza MunkPetition Starter
Media inquiries

The Decision Makers

Daniel R. Porterfield, Ph.D
Daniel R. Porterfield, Ph.D
President, Franklin and Marshall College
Responded
“On behalf of Margaret Hazlett, Dean of the College, Franklin & Marshall College: Dear Students and Friends of Franklin & Marshall College: Thank you for writing to express your concerns regarding F&M’s decision to limit the access of Bungy, Dr. Amy Myers’ therapy dog, to Appel Health Center. I appreciate your efforts to raise these issues, as discussing them enables us to work toward a more healthy and inclusive campus community. Let me first assure you that Bungy and other therapy dogs are very welcome on F&M’s campus. We deeply value the benefits they afford to those with whom they interact and are greatly appreciative of all that Bungy, in particular, has done for so many students. After reflecting on comments students had made to members of the administration over the past couple of years and also being aware that some people are allergic to dogs, we determined that Appel Health was not an ideal location for Bungy to perform her therapy work. Students with allergies or who are uncomfortable around dogs, for example, have indicated that it is difficult for them to access the Health Center given the presence of a dog. We have to take these concerns very seriously so as to ensure the health and safety of all in our community. And so, we are now asking that all dogs, except for service dogs, remain outside the Health Center so that it can remain an accessible resource for students. As I indicated earlier, however, Bungy and other therapy dogs are not only welcome, but encouraged to engage with our campus community. We simply must find another location for them. With that in mind, I am eager to work with students to explore ways in which Bungy and other therapy dogs can continue to serve our community. Yesterday, I met with Liza Munk ’14 to discuss this topic and am very pleased that she will be organizing students interested in bringing therapy dogs to campus. If this work is of interest to you, I encourage you to reach out to Liza directly by emailing her at liza.munk@fandm.edu. Thank you again for your thoughts and engagement on this issue. I look forward to working with Liza and others to make sure that Bungy, and therapy dogs more broadly, can serve as resources for the F&M community. With best wishes for a great year, Margaret Hazlett Dean of the College Franklin & Marshall College”

Petition Updates

Share this petition

Petition created on August 26, 2013