When walking through the halls of the Doyne Health Sciences Center on campus, one may notice a celebrity lounging in the department of exercise and sport science. And, while he may appear to be a pet who has tagged along with his owner, he is much more than that.
His proper name is Ollivander Aloysious Smith, but those on UCA’s campus know him as “Ollie the Collie.” He can be seen at sporting events with athletic trainers, in classrooms and in Torreyson Library saying “Hello” to students, faculty and staff.
Ollie, an eight-year-old Rough Collie, is a therapy specialist for exercise and sport science athletes and has been serving UCA’s campus since 2017.
Athletic trainer, clinical instructor and Ollie’s handler, Aaron Smith ’12 noticed a lack of therapy dogs in collegiate athletic settings when he was an undergraduate at UCA. Upon returning, after earning his graduate degree at Valparaiso, he began working to better the mental and physical health of athletes through the use of a therapy dog.
“I really had the idea about having a therapy dog working with college athletes in sports medicine when I was a student, and I’ve always been interested in mental health and mental wellness, and I felt like that was something that kind of got forgotten about in sports. Once I came back and started working here, I brought up the idea of using therapy dogs in that sports medicine world,” Smith reflected.
This came with the university’s full support, but it did not come without hard work. Smith conducted thorough research, collected data and prepared to implement this idea that no university, to his knowledge, had done before.
Smith stated, “There were a lot of questions, and I needed to get the data and research together. I had gotten the idea before I even got Ollie. We [the department] wrote the policy for this within athletics, how he’d be used, what we would be doing with him and where we would go. So, I did a bunch of the groundwork on the front. Everybody was fully supportive from the get-go, which is not the norm at a lot of other schools.”
After approval came choosing the right dog for the job and extensive training. According to Smith, collies are not a common breed of therapy dog, but upon meeting Ollie, Smith felt an instant connection and began training him when he was just six months old. This training and certification from Therapy Dogs International included basic obedience, environmental training and socialization. Additionally, Ollie also completed the Canine Good Citizen with the American Kennel Club.
Dogs aren’t allowed to test until they are at least one year old, and they must pass each part on the first try. Ollie took the exam at the age of two and passed with flying colors.
“His training was super easy because he’s so smart and well-behaved. He passed both tests, all in one go. So, he is very smart,” Smith related.
One need not be an athlete to pass the time with this distinguished canine. Smith affirmed that all students benefit from Ollie’s presence, and they aren’t the only ones; faculty also value Ollie.
“Obviously, the general thing with therapy dogs is they’re just cute and adorable, and you forget about your stress for a minute. I have a ton of students here in the academic world and athletes over in the sports world that will come in and stop by just to see if he’s here because they want to pet him,” he continued, “And, more faculty than students give me grief when I don’t bring him in because they’re like, ‘Where’s Ollie?’”
Ollie rarely tires of greeting and helping everyone through stressful situations. During finals week, he can be seen visiting students who need a moment to destress in Torreyson Library. Additionally, he is on the sidelines of sporting events, providing comfort to injured student-athletes. He makes friends, human or non-human, wherever he goes.
“He just loves being up here. It is very rare that he doesn’t want to be where people are, and he loves every living creature. He’s never met a stranger that I’ve seen. Squirrels on campus, he thinks they are new playmates. And, he gets really excited about rabbits. Any time he sees one, he wants to play with them,” Smith said.
Ollivander, in his spare time, enjoys hiking and nature; however, he is not a fan of swimming. He enjoys getting his paws wet, but that’s it for water. He also enjoys treats of just about any kind. His favorite, according to Smith, is pizza crust, and he indulges every time there is pizza in his vicinity.
A calming influence, fun spirit and highly intelligent fellow, Ollie the Collie is beloved on UCA’s campus by his trainer, students, faculty, staff and friends. He proves to be more than just a pretty face and cold nose in times of trouble. He is the first known therapy dog being used in collegiate athletics in the state of Arkansas, a valued part of the campus community and a humble celebrity taking a quick nap before heading out to make someone’s day better.