As students fill the Knoll lobby, a familiar set of footsteps and the jingle of a collar rings through the air as Jax, a three-year-old English labrador and Honors’ newest staff member, enters the room.
Accompanied by his handler, Tyler White, faculty director of the Honors Program, Jax walks the halls of Knoll with his tail held high, bringing a comforting presence to students and staff alike. White introduced him this fall, inspired by research showing the mental health benefits of therapy dogs on college campuses.
“Many students quickly go from visibly stressed or anxious, with those negative emotions washed away and replaced quickly with smiles, laughter and relaxation,” said Elizabeth Higley, Jax’s trainer and executive director of Uplifting Paws, a local nonprofit that trains service and therapy dogs. “We often hear from students how much they miss their dogs at home (or other pets), and how much it changes things not having access to an animal on campus on a regular basis. For many students, having time with the dogs is the highlight of their day.”
Jax’s role on campus is the fourth of his professional career, showcasing his resilience and grit — traits he hopes to share with Huskers. Jax was originally bred to be a show dog, but he was disqualified for being too happy and wagging his tail too much. He then was fully trained as a service dog, but a hip issue meant Jax couldn’t take on long weight-bearing tasks. For his third professional pivot, Jax worked at Uplifting Paw helping train puppies. That gig led Higley’s staff to realize Jax would be an excellent candidate for a therapy dog.
That was when Uplifting Paws reached out to a previous partner, the Lancaster County Court, to see if they needed another therapy dog. Judge Elise White, an Honors alumna, had a better idea. She called her husband, Tyler, and the plan to bring Jax to Honors was set in motion.
After discussing the possibility of adding a new family member with his wife, White asked students what they thought about adding a therapy dog to the program.
“The response was overwhelming,” he said.
His new path decided, Jax breezed through his AKC Canine Good Citizen, Community Canine and Urban Canine tests and quickly proved he was more than ready for the job. Higley said Jax has everything he needs to know about being a therapy dog, from basic obedience to therapy-based skills.
“He's a model of what we want our students to be — resilient, kind, happy, making the world better,” Tamy Burnett, Honors’ director of operations, said.
Alex Gryczanowski, a third-year journalism and broadcasting double major, said that Jax’s resilience throughout his career is a model for students to follow.
“Jax is so inspiring,” she said. “He was supposed to be the perfect show dog, and now he’s here.”
Students like Gryczanowski agree that Honors is the perfect place for Jax. Since his first day on the job, Honors students have felt that he makes every day in Knoll better.
He always brightens up my day,” Emma Lee, a first-year forensic science major, said. “I have two dogs at home, and I miss them, but Jax helps me feel at home here.”
As much as students love Jax, he loves them right back. Higley once described him as “the happiest of boys,” and for good reason.
“Every morning, as it gets closer to work time, he starts following me around the house, ready to leave,” White said. “He rides with his head out the window, ears flapping in the breeze. After a long day, he still wants to curl up next to me — and the next day, he’s ready to go all over again.”
