After witnessing the powerful impact of Facility Dog Wagner at Virginia Tech’s Cook Counseling Center, Rami knew she needed a four-legged partner to help reach students on a deeper level. In May 2021, Rami traveled to Charlottesville to begin transfer camp with Service Dogs of Virginia’s Facility Dog Josie. Since that time, the two have made a lasting and meaningful impact at Virginia Tech.

From May 2024 through May 2025, Josie has played a vital role in the university’s mental health services, providing support in therapeutic settings, outreach programming, and everyday campus interactions.

• 99 hours of group therapy, supporting two weekly groups with approximately 8 students in each

• 779 individual therapy sessions, directly impacting 113 unique students

• 181 hours of outreach programming, including both small, intimate gatherings and major events reaching hundreds or even thousands of participants

Josie’s impact extends well beyond scheduled sessions. With her office located near crisis clinicians, she frequently offers brief moments of comfort to students experiencing acute distress. Counselors consistently report that students show visible signs of relief after even short interactions with her.

In the workplace, Josie helps support the center’s hardworking staff. She spends lunch hours and administrative time with the front office team, and interacts regularly with many of the center’s 50 staff members, offering emotional support and a welcome pause in their day. Rami keeps her office door open whenever possible to make Josie accessible to colleagues who may need a moment of connection.

Josie’s reach also extends online. She and Rami maintain a daily presence on social media, connecting with a community of more than 18,500 followers, sharing their work and promoting mental health awareness.

While the numbers are impressive, Josie’s true power lies in the quiet, profound moments of connection she facilitates — building trust, easing anxiety, and helping students and staff feel seen, heard, and supported.

You can help make placements like Josie’s possible by making a one-time donation, setting up a monthly gift, or donating supplies. Just as one dog can make a lasting impact for a student in crisis, you can make a lasting impact for someone in need.