On select days, Ravit Reichman's dogs Lucy and Greta can be found running down the hallways of 70 Brown St., relishing the carpet beneath their tiny paws.
Assistant Professor of English Reichman, one of several members of the University's faculty and staff who bring their dogs to campus, said she does so because she doesn't want them to stay at home alone for too long.
"I like having them in my office - it's nice," she said, adding that she has not needed to bring them in often this year. "I don't know how my colleagues feel about it though."
Lauren Sarat, a visiting lecturer in English, often brings her dog, Jade, to campus, but Sarat no longer brings her to class - she suspects Jade "might be bored" by the experience.
Sarat wrote in an e-mail to The Herald that she thinks her dog makes members of the Brown community feel more relaxed.
"I notice that people often smile to see her, especially if she's running across the Main Green, chasing a squirrel," she wrote. "The dog seems to humanize things, ironically. She can provide a source of conversation that doesn't involve academic work, especially when she's in my office while I'm meeting students."
Reichman agreed. "With all the stress in the air, a dog can provide a sense of lightness," she said.
The two professors have never had much of an issue with students who are afraid of dogs. Reichman said she purposefully has two small dogs because she understands that some people are afraid of larger canines.
And while Sarat has never asked a student to dog-sit, Reichman said she was once "running so late to class, I had my TA hold on to Lucy," her tiny sato - the Puerto Rican term for a mixed-breed dog. Reichman's other dog, Greta, is a Cairn terrier, the same breed as Toto from "The Wizard of Oz."
Members of one of Reichman's classes chose Lucy's name.
"I was originally going to name her Rosa," Reichman said, "but we were reading Faulkner at the time, and the character Rosa was really depressing." They finally decided upon the name Lucy instead.
One student said having dogs on campus is a "great idea."
Allissa Wickham '09 said, "I think it creates an informal tone during class and office hours, allowing students to not feel so self-conscious."
She said she fondly remembers seeing her gender studies professor walking her "cute" dog and petting the dogs of Sheila Blumstein, professor of cognitive and linguistic sciences.
Those who own dogs and other pets have the benefit of Brown's new pet insurance initiative, which provides pet insurance for employees.
"Currently, we have approximately 20 employees utilizing this benefit and we expect that number to increase over time," Ibrahim Essa, benefits communication specialist in the Human Resources department, wrote in an e-mail to the Herald.
Essa wrote that while he does not think a pet insurance policy is something people look for when applying for a job, several universities offer a similar benefit.
But even with pet insurance in place, Reichman said she felt the Brown community could use a few more canine companions.
"I wish dogs were more a part of the culture here," she said.
Naomi Ninneman, a health educator who organizes Heavy Petting, an event during which Brown faculty and staff bring their canine pals to campus twice a semester, said petting dogs is thought to be a stress-reliever. Launched by Health Services, the event has been going on for about seven years and allows students to enjoy the psychological uplift the dogs provide, Ninneman said.
Weather providing, this semester's Heavy Petting will be held on April 7 and 28 on the Main Green.
Reichman, who brought Lucy and Greta to the event last spring, thought the occasion provided "a definite lightening of the mood."
Ninneman said some dogs enjoy the event so much that "they don't want to leave at the end."
