Photo of Ellie
Photo: Jessica Wikander
BY: JESSICA WIKANDER, STAFF WRITER
As finals week grows closer and closer, students may be hearing a little bit more about a certain visitor on campus. Each Wednesday at 3 p.m. in the first-floor lounge of Plassman, St. Bonaventure’s favorite campus celebrity, Ellie the therapy dog, can be found lying on her blanket surrounded by friends.
Since 2022, Ellie has been visiting campus to give students an opportunity to de-stress after a long day of classes and studying for exams. The almost 9-year-old Beagle has quickly found her way into students’ hearts through her laid-back attitude and love for belly rubs. Her owner, Donna Dombek, is the one to thank for her presence on campus.
Dombek, an assistant professor of childhood education here at Bonaventure, has been involved in all aspects of education, starting off teaching elementary through eighth grade in West Virginia, then going to work in an administrative office as a principal. While at the administrative level, Dombek decided to go back to school and get her doctorate in education where she discovered her passion for teaching the next generations of educators.
“While on that administrative path, I decided to get my doctorate,” said Dombek. “At the time, I thought I envisioned myself working in the department of education at the state level as a curriculum specialist but then I figured out what I really wanted to do was work with future teachers.”
Not only does Dombek have a love for teaching students, but she also has a passion for teaching our canine companions as well. Dombek picked up her certification as a dog trainer as a “hobby,” teaching multiple courses on how to train our furry friends how to sit, spin and roll over among other things.
After arriving on campus in 2021 as an assistant professor, Dombek worked to get approval to bring Ellie on campus after acknowledging a need for a stress reliever for students.
“As a teacher, I’ve worked with a lot of children and young adults, so I know the stress that they can experience at different times,” said Dombek. “It took me about 16 months to get permission to bring her on campus. She made her first visit in December of 2022, so it’s been around two years that she’s been coming now.”
Though Dombek has owned and trained many dogs, Ellie is the first to be trained as a therapy dog. Why Ellie? Dombek thinks she was always meant to comfort others. She dates it all back to an early memory of Ellie shortly after her older dog, Maggie, passed away.
“I got Ellie in April, Maggie died in June, and I was heartbroken as most people are when they lose a pet,” said Dombek. “A few months later in August, I was outside working on my flower garden and [the loss of Maggie] just hit me. The next thing I know, Ellie came and wedged herself between me and the flowerpot I was holding. It was at that moment that I knew there was something special about her.”
Since her first appearance, Ellie has been making frequent weekly visits around campus, especially around finals. She is set to be on campus three times during finals week to give students ample opportunity to take a break from studying and hang with Ellie.
Those who come to say hello to Ellie state that she gives them an outlet to stop thinking about schoolwork for a little while. They are also able to decompress or have some comfort while they are missing their own pets back home. It’s that cozy feeling that makes the staff and students alike of Bonaventure adore Ellie.
wikandjm23@bonaventure.edu
