TUESDAY
March 31, 2026 VOLUME 115 ISSUE 26
THE PETS ISSUE
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P10 FEATURE
COUNTY
Therapy dogs provide relief Hays top county for rabies cases in Texas during mourning period By Jakob Salsgiver
By Azja Farabee Life and Arts Contributor
A man’s best friend is more than a friend. Working therapy dogs bring more to the table than just companionship. Therapy dogs are here to help throughout the process of grieving a loved one. Mourning periods are not clear cut for anyone, but 58% of pet owners prefer to spend time with their pets when feeling stressed, according a 2025 release form from mental health company Calm and pet care business Mars.
News Reporter
Who Care therapy dog program trainer, said having a trained therapy dog to rely on while grieving a loved one is important. “People are more apt to open up to an animal coming towards them or one sitting at their feet with their head on their lap and just pet them and have a bit of relief as opposed to feeling the need to talk to somebody,” Hershman-Ross said.
Hays County is currently the leading county in Texas regarding confirmed rabies cases. Rabies is a virus that primarily affects the central nervous system. Rabies mainly occurs in wildlife, such as foxes, skunks, and raccoons. After exposure to rabies and before clinical symptoms, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) can treat the disease. However, once symptoms appear, the virus is almost 100% fatal. PEP involves four or five vaccines, wound care and an infection prevention measure.
Jyl Hershman-Ross, Canines
SEE THERAPY DOGS PAGE 7 CAMPUS
If PEP is used after exposure to rabies, it is almost 100% effective, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Douglas Loveday, a press officer with the Texas Department of State Health Services, wrote in an email to The Star that only Hays and Bexar counties are in the six to eight confirmed cases category of rabies, surpassing all other Texas Counties. Hays has a total of eight cases, whereas Bexar has seven.
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Texas State community protest university amid professor’s lawsuit By Ryan Claycamp News Editor
AIDEN FRITCSCHE | STAR PHOTOGRAPHER
YDSA Propaganda Chair Carmella Castruccio calls for justice for philosophy professor Idris Robinson, Monday, March 30, 2026, at The Fighting Stallions. Robinson is filing a wrongful termination suit against the university.
Students, faculty and union members gathered at The Stallions to protest the firing of Associate Philosophy Professor Idris Robinson on Monday, March 30. Texas State placed Robinson on leave in June, informing him that his contract would not be renewed in July due to comments he made at an out-of-state book fair in 2024. Robinson is now suing the university over
his termination. Aimee Villarreal, president of the Texas State chapter of the American Association for University Professors, said her organization was one of the few able to defend Robinson due to Texas State temporarily replacing the faculty senate with an advisory group because of Senate Bill 37 in 2025. According to Villarreal, the university’s decision regarding Robinson is part of an attack on freedom of speech in higher education
and academic freedom. “Stand up for academic freedom, for your freedom to learn,” Villarreal said. “This is your education. You’re paying for it, and what is the cost? Your freedom to learn.” Gracie Hargrave, a philosophy graduate student and member of the Texas State Employees Union (TSEU), helped organize the protest. She credited Robinson as being the reason she came to Texas State.
SEE PROTEST PAGE 2