Notre Dame's Comfort K9 program is breaking down barriers, and helping students daily

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- If you're a Notre Dame student in need of some stress relief, you should seek out Paul Foley, and his K9 counterpart, Orla. 

They are a part of Notre Dame's Comfort K9, a program meant to help students with stress and anxiety. Orla and Paul spend the day walking around campus, looking for students, teachers, or anyone else who could benefit from some time spent with a friendly pooch. Orla loves attention and meeting new people, so they encourage everyone to come up without hesitation.

Orla is one of three Comfort K9s, and she and her work buddies, Finn and Buck, also serve as a bridge between the campus police and the student body. 

"...it gives the campus community opportunities to come up to us, our police officers, and speak with them, and, you know, pet the dogs, visit with the dog's officers. So, it's about building bridges between our department and community" says Foley.

He told us that he sees positive results all the time:

"I've seen a great impact, especially with our students. A lot of students have pets. They have dogs, so seeing a comfort canine around that they can pet and hug... really impacts their sort of mentality, sort of their mental health. I've seen a very positive and enormous impact on campus."

Orla, Finn, and Buck are friendly and outgoing, but they're also well-trained:

"They're trained... to be as calm as they can around people. I think Orla can even sometimes sense when an individual is sad and doesn't feel well. But other than that, they're trained to just be very calm and comforting to the campus community. 

Orla and her K9 handler Paul Foley have no plans to change their line of work any time soon. 

"The dogs are very important to have, and they're always proactive. ...We're always walking around. We're trying to go from building to building to see who needs comforting.

My favorite part is seeing the outcome that Orla, Finn, and Buck have with the community... the faces, the positivity... every day. That's what I like about the job. That's what I look for daily... the interaction."