Puppy Room Designated as De-stresser for Students
Of course you remember finals week. The week that felt less like a string of separate days than a haze of one long all-nighter. I refer to finals week of my senior year as the most stressful week of my life. It wasn't as if life outside of school stopped. There was my job, rent, my family checking in, groceries, friends who want to spend a little time together, and oh right, sleep.
The morning I woke up from a nightmare, covered in sweat, holding a pen and scribble-covered notepad, I wasted little time in getting to the library where dogs were brought in by their owners. Petting a huskie for about two minutes calmed me down.
Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada took the puppy petting technique to a whole new level by designating an entire room to relieving stress for students.
The Facebook post that shared this promotional poster was shared over 300 times in the first two hours of it going live. As of today, it has been shared over 2,400 times and "liked" over 1,500.
The dogs were brought over by volunteers from Therapeutic Paws of Canada, a non-profit organization of volunteers providing animal resources for human needs (physical, mental, educational, motivational, socialization) through regular visits to hospitals, residences, schools, and other locations.
According to the owner of Tundra, an 8-year-old border collie mix, and an Ottawa University student, "Just petting a dog will decrease your blood pressure and relieve anxiety. You can be affectionate with them and they’ll be affectionate back. They love attention."
Dalhousie and Ottawa are no the only, nor the first schools to bring in dogs to relieve stress. As a recent college grad myself, I hope more institutions both within and outside education adopt the practice; it's totally worth it.
