By Tyler C. Feole
Animals and humans, a collective bond that gets each other through the day. It creates a sense of joy and distraction from whatever may be going on in the real world and at that moment in time.
For just a little bit of time, it feels as if the world has stopped, and it is just you and that animal that wants to cuddle up next to you and receive countless treats and pets. Well, what if I told you, incoming Freshmen, that there was something like that for you animal lovers on campus on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on the first floor of the library. Where there were dogs to help you relax and recharge from the stressful and intimidating environment that college can bring from time to time. This event was called Love on A Leash Pet Therapy. It was put together by the great First Year Experience group who help with the Freshmen integration process and really gets them comfortable with what can feel like a daunting task in college for the first time.
According to many different reports and articles, the animal and human connection can actually benefit your mental health and provide a form of therapy. A study done at Washington State University called Therapy dogs provide mental health benefits for college freshmen talked about the benefits of the animal, human connection. According to WSU, The college students who spent time with the therapy dogs experienced more rejuvenation and in less of a depressive state over those who did not.These students would have an assigned dog for a once-a-week session or be waitlisted for a dog where they could talk, pet, or just sit and vibe with the dog. According to Patricia Pendry, corresponding author of the study and WSU professor of human development “…earlier research showing that even brief physical
interactions with therapy dogs can lower cortisol levels.” This in hand means that the students’ stress levels would be lower and they would have more energy with an upper enhancement in focus.
When asking a peer of mine, Luke Marano, about what things like Love on A Leash Pet Therapy would have done for him when he was a freshman, he said that he is an animal lover at heart and had always grown up around cats but never had a real chance to be around dogs. If he were able to be around dogs for a few minutes, once a week. It would have reduced the toughness of his freshman year greatly.
So be on the lookout for the next Love on The Leash Pet Therapy event, to get some rest and relaxation. Allow yourself to fully decompress from the stresses that come with the college workload and life. As studies have shown, it does help your cortisol and stress levels to have a dog around. So, make sure you get your petting enjoyment out of this event experience.
source: study/ WSU.
