Northern Michigan University's popular animal-assisted intervention (AAI) program has appropriately gained a new Wildcat named Luna to complement the beloved Wildpups therapy dogs that routinely interact with the campus community, providing comfort, joy and companionship. Luna belongs to NMU social work major Emilee DeForge. After seeing her tortoiseshell feline's therapeutic potential in terms of personality and temperament, the Houghton native was eager to certify her pet for service.
“I've had Luna since she was two months old,” DeForge said. “We've been through a lot together. She came to me with fleas and ear mites, and got sick early on, but she's resilient. She's also my emotional support animal, helping me deal with anxiety and depression. I relied on the Wildpups for that human-animal connection when I lived in the dorms. Now I have Luna as my steady companion. We kind of rescued each other.
“Torties are known for being divas of the cat world, but Luna's always been adventurous and incredibly social. Everyone who meets her says she's the nicest tortie they've ever seen. She's got sass, but she's very sweet. She even hikes with me in a backpack and loves going to the beach. People light up when they see her, and that's when I realized she'd make a great therapy animal.”
After learning about NMU's AAI program while visiting the Wildpups herself, DeForge approached program coordinator and nursing professor Michelle Andriacchi, whose Siberian husky named Fonzie is a Wildpup.
“Emilee was one of the first students to take the initiative to certify her own animal,” Andriacchi said. “She followed through on every step of the process, from online coursework to veterinary clearance to in-person evaluation.”
Nursing professor Anne Stein is an evaluator for Pet Partners, a national organization that registers therapy animals. She helped DeForge accelerate the process for becoming certified so that Luna could begin making a difference before the end of the semester.
Wildpups teams are part of the local chapter, Superiorland Pet Partners. About half of the chapter's therapy animals belong to faculty or staff, and the other half to community members. Andriacchi describes it as a wonderful way to connect Northern with Marquette and the surrounding area.
“Our AAI program is very well-received, has grown beyond our expectations, and supports the university's strategic focus on well-being,” she said. “We had one previous therapy cat named Butterscotch [handler Diana Perry], who participated several years ago for a short time before she passed away. She quickly became a campus favorite; people would line up to see Butterscotch when she visited Olson Library. We haven't had a Wildcat in a while, so the addition of Luna to our team feels like things have come full circle. And it's really cool that students like Emilee are interested in getting involved with their pets and take it seriously.”
As part of the AAI program, Luna and DeForge will make their first joint appearance from noon to 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15, during the Holistic Health Fair at NMU. They will also attend a Wildpups event from 5-6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20, in the first-floor commons area of Jamrich Hall; the final event of the semester is scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 8 in the same location.
DeForge has been employed in the foster care field for the past three years while enrolled at NMU, including at a group home for adolescents and as a family assistance worker who supervised court-mandated parenting times. After graduating in May, she plans to pursue a dual juris doctor and master of social work degree.
“Working in foster care opened my eyes to how much improvement is needed in our systems,” she said. “Social workers don't have real power to change anything. I'm hoping that once I get a law degree, I'll have that power, because it rests mainly with the judges and prosecutors. I would love to get into either one of those roles, or I would like to get into an advocacy, civil ligations position where I can help with policy motions and make a difference in that area. In either case, Luna will be right there with me on the journey.”
After experiencing the loss of a loved one while she was in high school, DeForge immersed herself in service work related to suicide awareness and prevention. She volunteered with Dial Help in Houghton and teamed up with two classmates to organize a mental health dance that raised more than $1,000. They donated the funds to Communities That Care and won a Youth Contributor of the Year Award.
Luna, the newly certified Pet Partner therapy cat, has an Instagram account: @Lunathetherapycat.
