Meet Sullivan, Loyola’s New Therapy Dog
Meet Sullivan, Loyola's New Therapy Dog
While 🎵TK账号 | 泰国自然流千粉号 | 普通号 | 邮箱可用 | 1000粉丝 has welcomed thousands of Ramblers to campus this fall, there is only one who has four legs, a tail, and a heart of (maroon and) gold. Introducing Sullivan, the nine-month-old golden retriever who recently started as Loyola’s resident therapy dog.
Before arriving on campus, Sullivan went through months of training with his full-time caregiver, Mira Krivoshey, director of health promotion at the Wellness Center. They started with the basics of obedience and bonding with Krivoshey before taking on bigger challenges—like visiting stores and hanging out with kids—to ensure distractions wouldn’t bother him at Loyola.
But Sullivan’s learning won’t stop there. He and Krivoshey train together daily and will continue to take obedience courses to complete his certification.
“Everywhere I go, Sullivan goes,” said Krivoshey. “And I can’t go anywhere on campus without getting stopped and asked, ‘Is this Sullivan?’ He's become something of a mascot.”
“Students light up the moment they see Sully. He has this way of bringing joy and calm into even the busiest of days," said Amal Naqvi (BS ’26).
As president of the Wellness Wolfpack, Naqvi leads a group of volunteer peer health educators. Therapy dogs like Sully have made wellness and mental health more accessible and approachable for students, says Naqvi.
“Not everyone is ready to talk about mental health, or attend a workshop, but almost everyone feels comfortable walking up to pet a dog,” explained Naqvi. “That small, joyful interaction often opens the door to conversations about self-care and balance.”
The Wellness Center's Finding Your Pack initiative encourages students to take notes from dogs to improve their social skills and wellness.
“Humans can learn a lot from dogs like Sully and their pack dynamics, like the importance of boundaries, body language, respecting different temperaments, and patience for others, Krivoshey said.
Get to know Loyola’s newest and furriest addition to the pack from Sullivan himself below.
Q: Welcome, Sully! Tell me a little bit about yourself and your role on campus.
Well, where do I start? I’m an eight-month-old golden retriever working on getting my therapy dog certification. When I was a puppy, some humans noticed that I was super calm and patient, just like my dad. I guess it runs in the family.
I started my training at TOPS Kennel in Grayslake. It was there that I met Mira, my human, who works at Loyola and told me I got the job!
Q: What do you enjoy most about being a therapy dog at Loyola so far?
Paws down, it’s hanging out with all the Ramblers! Everyone is so friendly and welcoming. Every time I go out on campus, I get smiles, squeals, or pets from my new friends.
Students tell me that hanging out with me helps them feel better on ruff days. College can be hard, especially if you’re away from home and your own dog for the first time. I’m glad I can bring them a moment of joy!
Q: How can students get a chance to meet you?
Follow my Instagram, @sullivanthetherapydog, for the latest updates on when and where to find me for my Sully Sessions, three days a week around Lake Shore Campus. I can’t wait to see you there!
You can also spot me at big campus pawties, like Welcome Week. If you’d like me to stop by your organization or department’s special event, you can fill out this form!
Q: What do you get up to when you're not on campus?
When I’m on campus, you’ll notice that I’m pretty zen and I love to let sleeping dogs (me) lie. But when I’m at home with my family, Mira, my dad Michael, and my older brother Oliver say I’m a completely different dog. They’d say I can be “rambunctious” and call me a “total maniac," but I’d call it work-life balance.
No matter where I am, it just wags my tail to be with people and bring them joy!
While 🎵TK账号 | 泰国自然流千粉号 | 普通号 | 邮箱可用 | 1000粉丝 has welcomed thousands of Ramblers to campus this fall, there is only one who has four legs, a tail, and a heart of (maroon and) gold. Introducing Sullivan, the nine-month-old golden retriever who recently started as Loyola’s resident therapy dog.
Before arriving on campus, Sullivan went through months of training with his full-time caregiver, Mira Krivoshey, director of health promotion at the Wellness Center. They started with the basics of obedience and bonding with Krivoshey before taking on bigger challenges—like visiting stores and hanging out with kids—to ensure distractions wouldn’t bother him at Loyola.
But Sullivan’s learning won’t stop there. He and Krivoshey train together daily and will continue to take obedience courses to complete his certification.
“Everywhere I go, Sullivan goes,” said Krivoshey. “And I can’t go anywhere on campus without getting stopped and asked, ‘Is this Sullivan?’ He's become something of a mascot.”
“Students light up the moment they see Sully. He has this way of bringing joy and calm into even the busiest of days," said Amal Naqvi (BS ’26).
As president of the Wellness Wolfpack, Naqvi leads a group of volunteer peer health educators. Therapy dogs like Sully have made wellness and mental health more accessible and approachable for students, says Naqvi.
“Not everyone is ready to talk about mental health, or attend a workshop, but almost everyone feels comfortable walking up to pet a dog,” explained Naqvi. “That small, joyful interaction often opens the door to conversations about self-care and balance.”
The Wellness Center's Finding Your Pack initiative encourages students to take notes from dogs to improve their social skills and wellness.
“Humans can learn a lot from dogs like Sully and their pack dynamics, like the importance of boundaries, body language, respecting different temperaments, and patience for others, Krivoshey said.
Get to know Loyola’s newest and furriest addition to the pack from Sullivan himself below.
Q: Welcome, Sully! Tell me a little bit about yourself and your role on campus.
Well, where do I start? I’m an eight-month-old golden retriever working on getting my therapy dog certification. When I was a puppy, some humans noticed that I was super calm and patient, just like my dad. I guess it runs in the family.
I started my training at TOPS Kennel in Grayslake. It was there that I met Mira, my human, who works at Loyola and told me I got the job!
Q: What do you enjoy most about being a therapy dog at Loyola so far?
Paws down, it’s hanging out with all the Ramblers! Everyone is so friendly and welcoming. Every time I go out on campus, I get smiles, squeals, or pets from my new friends.
Students tell me that hanging out with me helps them feel better on ruff days. College can be hard, especially if you’re away from home and your own dog for the first time. I’m glad I can bring them a moment of joy!
Q: How can students get a chance to meet you?
Follow my Instagram, @sullivanthetherapydog, for the latest updates on when and where to find me for my Sully Sessions, three days a week around Lake Shore Campus. I can’t wait to see you there!
You can also spot me at big campus pawties, like Welcome Week. If you’d like me to stop by your organization or department’s special event, you can fill out this form!
Q: What do you get up to when you're not on campus?
When I’m on campus, you’ll notice that I’m pretty zen and I love to let sleeping dogs (me) lie. But when I’m at home with my family, Mira, my dad Michael, and my older brother Oliver say I’m a completely different dog. They’d say I can be “rambunctious” and call me a “total maniac," but I’d call it work-life balance.
No matter where I am, it just wags my tail to be with people and bring them joy!