Luca the Therapy Dog

You might've seen him in the halls, passed his furry paws, or maybe had the pleasure to meet him. It’s the man, the myth, the legend: Luca the therapy dog. Luca is a five year old field golden retriever who is a big fan of his job, which consists of being pet and loved all day long. 

According to his owner, Mary Martin, a woman who has been in the therapy animal business for approximately 18  years and owned three of her own therapy animals, Luca is pretty close to perfect for his job. He “Just assumes everyone will like him.” After Luca was rehomed with Martin, he was given the opportunity to work with Intermountain Therapy Animals and ended up loving it. Martin said that she was delighted to train Luca and work with him if he showed signs of wanting to be a therapy dog. After some time it was clear that cheering up kids is Luca's calling and since then, he has been employed as a therapy dog for almost two years. When asked about a story of Luca, Martin said that when she gets out the bag that has all of Luca’s leashes and other necessities for going to a therapy event, Luca automatically knows and gets very excited at the fact that he gets to meet new people. 

Luca works mostly with young kids up to college age, because his occasional burst of energy, also referred to as ‘The Zoomies’, can be a bit overwhelming for elderly groups. Despite not working with older crowds, Luca is still a very busy guy. He is at Gallatin High School almost every Thursday at lunch, for starters, where he on average gets 10-20 visitors a day. He is a magnet for high school students in the hallways as well, where he can steal a few more pets before he departs the school. The Bozeman Library is also another place for Luca to bask in love. About once a week, Luca gets read to in the library by little kids. During times of exams at the college, Luca is especially busy. A program called PAWS organizes for Luca to go to Montana State University and destress college kids who are going through finals or some other kind of academic pressure. 

As a golden retriever, Luca’s social but gentle personality is a great de-stresser. He is a “big licker” and gets very excited to meet new people. If that is overwhelming, however, he is also able to calm down and settle when the situation calls for it. As a golden he also has a lot of hair which can definitely turn people away. Students looking to relax and hang out with a very cool dog, however, should have no reason to be hesitant. Martin remedies the issue of Luca’s flying hair by bringing a lint roller for people who may not want to get covered in his golden locks. 

Luca is a pro at winning people over, and hanging out with him definitely is a big destresser. He has trained well to cheer up the young people of Bozeman. Gallatin High is lucky to host Luca and therapy dogs in general. As Martin said, it is “Amazing how we can live with animals and they can provide so much comfort and relaxation.”  It is very exciting to be a part of a time in which dogs are at school and there are abstract efforts being made to create a better experience for students.