Doggie’s Pub looked a little different Sunday afternoon as students wandered in to meet three kinds of working animals, service dogs, therapy dogs, and emotional support animals as part of “Access in Action: More Than a Pet,” an educational event hosted by the Equal Access Collective.

The two‑hour program aimed to clear up the confusion many people have when they encounter a working animal on the job. Organizers said they wanted to give students a chance to interact with trained dogs, ask questions, and walk away knowing what each type of animal is allowed to do under the law.

The event featured three dogs, Kylun, Phoenix, and Lark, all trained and handled by their longtime dog trainer Terri‑Lynn Braun. Students rotated through hands‑on activities designed to explain how each category of working animal fits into public spaces.

“It’s common to mix them up, but service dogs, therapy dogs, and emotional support animals actually have very different privileges when it comes to being out in public,” Braun said in the group’s press release. “To ensure you are being compliant and respectful of public spaces, it’s vital to recognize how they differ and where they are legally allowed to go.”

Service animals are the only group protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act, meaning they can accompany their handlers anywhere the public is allowed. Therapy animals and emotional support animals play important roles in comfort and mental health, but they don’t have the same access rights, something organizers say many students don’t realize.

According to the Higher Education Mental Health Alliance, there’s little regulation around how these animals are labeled or documented, which often leads to misinformation. The collective said that’s exactly why they wanted to host an event before the end of the semester.

“We wanted to partner with Doggie’s because they have partnered with other Penn State clubs in the past, and we know they are all about dogs. They are also very community-focused, which is what we want,” said Teriana Melcher, one of the event organizers.

Throughout the afternoon, students asked handlers about training standards, documentation, and how to tell whether a dog is working. Many said they were surprised by how much they didn’t know, especially those who work in customer‑facing jobs.

To encourage participation, the collective handed out small gifts to students who completed the educational activities. The group has been planning the event since January as part of a semester‑long public relations campaign course.

The Equal Access Collective includes five Penn State public relations students — Ainsley Braun, Jelina Chen, Yan Tong, Ariana Shariati, and Teriana Melcher — who said their goal is to reduce confusion and increase comfort around working animals on campus.

“There are a lot of uncomfortable misconceptions around working animals, so we want to clear things up and have the uncomfortable conversations and just have an educational campaign around the working animals,” said Melcher.

The group hopes the event helps students and community members feel more confident and respectful the next time they encounter a working animal during a shift or around campus.