Every Tuesday afternoon, in the shadow of Wallace Library next to the Doll House, you can find Tito the Therapy dog for ‘Tuesdays with Tito’. The beloved campus celebrity is usually around for an hour and the time shifts depending on the week. When Tito is there, students coming to or from classes or on their way to get some studying done in the library can count on a guaranteed serotonin boost if their timing is right.
Tito taking a quick break at Tuesdays with Tito.
Tito was certified as a therapy dog in August of this year and started working at Wheaton within the month. According to Carly Ladd, Assistant Director and Training Director at Wheaton College Counseling Center, the idea of a therapy animal had been in the works for the past two years, in frequent conversations between the Counseling Center, the Dean of Students Office, and administration. This fall, the work came to fruition and Tito quickly became a celebrity on campus.
Gianna Scibelli‘26 said that “it is always very relaxing and fun to see Tito,” a sentiment shared by many who frequent Tuesdays with Tito. Another regular, Emily Brown ‘26 said that she finds comfort in that “even if I can’t make it one week, [I know] he’ll be here next week.” The regularity of Tito’s weekly appearances shouldn’t change, only the location as we enter the colder months.
However, it isn’t only those who see Tito regularly who adore him. Those who met him for the first time also expressed similar excitement and adoration. Emily McCargar ‘28, while petting Tito and smiling said, “I’ve never met Tito before, this is wonderful.”
Declan Kennedy ‘27 noted how Tito’s presence may have a more profound effect on lifting student’s spirits, bringing attention to how “there’s a lot of stress going on, especially with the election going on right now.” Stress is a large factor in the lives of college students, and having a therapy dog to help temporarily lower this stress has been effective here at Wheaton.
Tuesdays with Tito, as mentioned, have no plans of stopping. To take care of Tito and make sure he can focus on making students feel better, Carly Ladd and the Counseling Center take him on frequent walks “to get all the sniffing done that he wants to do,” and make sure he can relax and take his lengthy naps. As Tuesdays with Tito look ahead, Carly Ladd says they hope to do more collaborations with organizations and departments here at Wheaton, as the Counseling Center has already done with SMART and Active Minds. Additionally, in February it will be Tito’s birthday, and the Counseling Center plans on throwing him a party for the Wheaton community to attend.
The place to keep up with all of Tito’s upcoming events, as well as his weekly Tuesdays with Tito times and locations, is @therapydogtito on Instagram.