By: Delaney Rosenthal
Roni LaPierre is a senior at the University of Oregon. Dakota is Roni’s 2 year old emotional support dog. With the help of Dakota, Roni is able to stay calm and relaxed, and feel safe while living on her own.
Meet Roni and Dakota. Dakota is Roni’s emotional support dog that helps her with her anxiety. One of their favorite things to do is go on their weekly trips to the HEDCO lawn to play and meet new friends. These trips help take Roni’s mind off school and other everyday stresses.
Dakota’s warm smile comes off as contagious. When he and Roni make their way through campus, he is seen saying hi to any student that passes. This socializing helps Roni open up to other students. He also loves showing off his U of O dog tag to show the other students how much he loves the ducks.
When he is not spending his time as an emotional support pet for Roni, Dakota is in training to be a service dog. Roni wants Dakota to be certified, so when she graduates this spring, and does not need Dakota’s support, he can continue to help others. He wears his training harness with pride.
To help Roni with her exercise regimen, Dakota accompanies her to the park for their weekly park date, and they play catch with Dakota’s favorite ball. These park dates are a good way for Roni to get out of the house and socialize with her peers, and Dakota is the perfect partner for that. His friendliness gives Roni more confidence with other people.
- On this warm, sunny Friday, Dakota waits patiently for Roni to throw him his ball. This learned patience is a part of his training for becoming a certified service dog. Although he helps Roni with anxiety, Dakota is working hard to help others as well.