CUAA is blessed to have two comfort dogs who visit campus! Comfort dogs are animals who go to public facilities like schools, nursing homes and hospitals to interact with the people there. Both of our comfort dogs are certified through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs.
Gracie Maize
Gracie Maize was born in May of 2017, and since then has made it her mission to bring happiness to people in all walks of life. Gracie Maize is trained as a Certified Therapy Dog. Karen Baker is a social worker, Licensed Professional Counselor, and retired school counselor. Retirement didn't keep Karen from her love of caring for people; she just took on a partner, her beautiful golden retriever Gracie Maize, who is full of energy and personality. The therapy dog team of Karen and her golden retriever bring joyful smiles and cuddly comfort to the students of Concordia University Ann Arbor.
Karen and Gracie Maize enjoy sharing joy and providing stress relief to all ages. They regularly visit local elementary schools, college campuses, nursing homes and hospice care facilities. However, their favorite place to visit is CUAA. Karen finds working with Gracie Maize very rewarding. Students love to pet and take pictures with Gracie Maize; people often comment that this therapy dog team “made their day.”
If you want to see your picture with Gracie Maize reposted to CAPS’ Instagram story, tag your story @cuaacaps and include #graciemaizeatcuaa!
Look out for Gracie Maize on central campus on Wednesday mornings – Karen and Gracie Maize arrive before Chapel (10:00am-10:30am), then afterwards can be found on the lawn outside the Chapel, in the Student Union Building, and walking around in nearby classrooms (11:00am-12:00pm).
Look out for Gracie Maize in the North building on Thursday mornings – Karen and Gracie Maize weave their way through hallways and classrooms greeting students from 10:00am-11:30am.
While CAPS partners with Karen and Gracie Maize around regular comfort dog visits (see visit schedule), they are also available for other services upon request from departments.
Presentations: Karen offers a presentation on the definitions, similarities, and differences between a therapy animal, a service animal, and an emotional support animal. She has presented in the past to health programs and social work students.
Campus Events: If your department (student life or academic) is hosting an event and feels it would be nice to have a comfort dog present, Karen and Gracie Maize can attend depending on their availability.
Athletic Events: Karen and Gracie Maize can attend sporting events and interact with students, patrons, etc.
Dorms/Housing: Housing folks are welcome to request that Karen and Gracie Maize make an appearance for things like an important hall meeting, a dorm event before exams, etc.
To request Karen and Gracie Maize’s services and learn more about pricing and availability, please reach out to Karen at tttkbaker@comcast.net.