Therapy Dogs at the Library
Therapy animals and the benefits of dog cuddles
Chastek Library will be hosting its
first ever Therapy Dog event on April 27th and May 1st with the help of a
wonderful local group known as Reading Rovers. Ellee and Faith, a mastiff and a
flatcoated retriever pair, will be on-campus from 10am to 12pm to cuddle and
help alleviate student stress before and during Spring finals week.
Pet therapy is well-known and
well-documented by the Mayo clinic as aiding in reducing depression and fatigue
symptoms, as well as helping people deal with stress and anxiety. Studies have
shown that increased oxytocin from canine interactions especially can help
reduce or lessen anxiety and blood pressure which may help with memory
retention.
So if you’re missing your friends
and animals from home, want to help lessen your finals week stress, or just
want to pet a gentle giant, come down to the Kelley Reading Room on April 27th
and May 1st and get your cuddle on with Faith and Ellee.
Credits:
Grimm, D. (2015, April 16). How
dogs stole our hearts. Science. Retrieved from http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/04/how-dogs-stole-our-hearts
The Mayo Clinic. (2016, Aug. 19).
Who can benefit from animal-assisted therapy? Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/in-depth/pet-therapy/art-20046342?pg=2