On Wednesday November 19th, MHAC and SUS hosted their puppy therapy session in the lobby of the Abul Ladha building. The event was highly successful with over 150 students coming out to de-stress for 15 minutes by playing with dogs. In attendance this year we had a pomeranian, shih-tzu, golden retriever, Australian shepherd, two chocolate labs, and what appeared to be a poodle schnauzer mix (or a schnoodle). Only 21 people were allowed into the lobby at a time to ensure that the dogs did not get overwhelmed.
With exam period fast approaching and students rushing to finish term papers on caffeine fuelled nights, sometimes it is good to take a step back and relax for a couple of minutes to de-stress. Research shows that animal camaraderie is a good means to aid with stress and mental health. Rebecca Johnson, a professor at University of Missouri College, explains that simply looking at pets increases output of oxytocin, which is a powerful neurochemical that promotes the feeling of joy. In addition, the increase in oxytocin is accompanied by the decrease in the stress hormone cortisol. The introduction of pets into ones life have a major impact on the health and wellbeing of the individual.
MHAC has taken this notion and brought in dogs for students to spend some time with in order to combat exam times stress. This event gave the opportunity for students who have been away from family pets for long periods of time to pet and play with different dogs.
We are especially thankful to the owners who brought in their dogs to be pet and cuddled by numerous students taking a break from classes and studies. All the dogs present at the event were amazing and very social with all the students who partook in the event. The hardest part of the event was definitely telling groups when their fifteen minutes were done and they had to make room for more students. No one was all too keen on leaving the adorable dogs.