Poodle Helps Students De-Stress
It’s time for finals at Montana State University and students are flooding into the campus library to get ready. However in one corner of the library’s first floor, there’s a place of tranquility amidst the craziness.
Stella, a therapy dog, had a group of students on clustered around her this last Wednesday. The students smiled as they petted the standard black poodle, enjoying a break and feeling the stress of their day melt away.
Renne’s Library staff created Paws to de-Stress as a way to help MSU students cope with the anxiety and stress of finals. The program lets students interact with therapy dogs like Stella.
Lori Jacobs, owner and trainer of Stella, commented that “It’s been going great. We’ve had a steady group of people wanting to visit.”
Continuing Jacobs said “There’s just something really comforting when you’re under a lot of stress and you’re missing your own dogs at home, when you can just reach down and pet a dog.” “Studies show it helps you get rid of stress and it clears your mind for what you need to do.”
Mary Anne Hansen, professor and the research and instruction librarian, said the library had been looking for a way to help students relax. “We noticed on social media that a couple of academic libraries were doing it around the country,” said Hansen. “We thought we should do it too.”
To help students with allergies avoid the area Paws to de-Stress was set up in the northwest corner on the library’s first floor. The library held the first ever therapy dog session at the end of the 2013 spring semester.
Three semesters later, the project is thriving. Surveys and paper pads are offered to students at each event to allow them to express feedback.
Anne Hansen said, “It’s been overwhelmingly positive. They love the opportunity to rave about the dogs.”
The students have also enjoyed the program, “It was super fun,” said Jenna Pinto, a student who has enjoyed past events. “The dogs were really lovely, and the trainers are super friendly.”
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