Descendants of MU legend Harlan keep the
tradition of free dog therapy on campus alive.
Are you a student stressed out by hard assignments and tests? Having a bad day and need something to cheer you up? Or do you just love petting cute dogs with fluffy fur?
Every Wednesday, from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., weather permitting, the aptly named Jason Furrer brings his Great Pyrenees, Luna, to Speakers Circle on the University of Missouri campus. Luna has an Instagram account where pictures and updates are posted to show where she will be and when.
Furrer is a member of the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology in the MU School of Medicine. He has been at Mizzou since 1994, when he arrived as an undergraduate. During his time at Mizzou, Furrer heard about one of the legends of campus, Harlan the Great Pyrenees.
Harlan, who died nearly four years ago, “was the ultimate therapy animal,” Furrer said. “Stop by, get a pet, get good luck, get your graduation pictures with him. Everyone loved Harlan.”
During the pandemic, Furrer’s daughter saw a Great Pyrenees and said the family needed to adopt one. “I don’t know why, but we got one,” Furrer said. “It turns out that Luna came from Little Dixie Farm, which is where Harlan was born and raised. Luna is Harlan’s niece.”
While not initially looking to supplant MU’s campus therapy dog, Furrer knew Luna would be able to carry on Harlan’s tradition. He described Luna as having the “perfect temperament” to do what Harlan used to. She sits calmly on the stone stairs of Speakers Circle, waiting for students to come by and give her a pet.
“Everyone knew Harlan, everyone wanted to stop by and pet him, so now we’re just doing the same,” Furrer explained. “We bring her out here so everybody can get their dog fix.”
Luna is a fluffy white dog with a sleek and regal face. Her fur is soft to the touch, and she has round, dark brown eyes. When out at Speakers Circle, Luna wears a harness and leash that have various colorful pins attached. She does shed, but there’s no reason to fear — she carries duct tape in her harness bag to take care of all the extra hair.
Luna and Furrer’s other pup also sometimes visit his teaching lab so his students can interact with the dogs. Students enjoy seeing them during lab time, and they always ask Furrer whether Luna will be in attendance. However, Wednesday afternoons are designated for Speakers Circle so everyone on campus gets a chance to see Luna.
Luna is often accompanied by another Great Pyrenees named Hank. Hank is Luna’s cousin, which makes him Harlan’s great-nephew. Hank’s pet parent is Harlan’s original owner, Cris Wood. Since Wood is retired from the university, he is out there with Hank more often than just with Luna and Furrer.
Comparing the dogs, Furrer observed: “While Luna was the runt of her litter and pretty small, Hank was the pick of the litter. He is a big boy.” When Luna and Hank stand side by side, Hank is twice Luna’s size. However, both are equally fluffy, adorable, and lovable.
Luna and Hank are often out in Speakers Circle together for a couple of hours each week for students to come visit. “The two of them together are a very odd couple,” Furrer said. “They get along. [Hank] is pretty young, so he is a little more excitable. Luna is five now, so she is kind of the regal, proper, sit-still-for-everything kind of pup. She sees herself as the queen, I think.”
When I visited Speakers Circle, Luna sat calmly for everyone who came by to pet her. Hank arrived shortly after and bounded over, excited to see Luna and all the students. Both dogs were happy and friendly and kept brushing up against everyone’s legs to get more attention. It was clear how much these dogs enjoy being around people. They put a smile on everyone’s faces.
As much as the students enjoy Luna’s visits, Furrer finds that bringing Luna outside on campus benefits him, too. “I just really like being out here. It’s nice; it gets me out of my office.”
When the weather is nice, Luna and Furrer get 100 or more people who stop by in the two hours they are out at Speakers Circle each week. “We’ve got a lot of regulars that show up all the time,” Furrer said. Some people stay and chat, while others give Luna a quick pat on their way to class. Even more look their way and smile.
Luna and Furrer were off during the summer, relaxing at home, but they are looking forward to the return of the students in the fall semester.
“This is a fun time for us to get out here and see all the students and give some support,” Furrer concluded. “It’s a great tradition of Mizzou. We are happy to be a part of it.”
