By Isaiah Mawhinney [1]
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[5]BELLEVILLE – Stress is in the air this year as exams roll around, but Loyalist College [6] tried to make a “pawsitive” difference with a visit from Therapy Dogs on Wednesday in the Link Lounge.
Loyalist hosts the canines in partnership with St. John Ambulance [7]as a way to promote mental-health awareness.
The dogs are all individually-raised and trained by their owners and have an interesting story to share. Some of them have disabilities or setbacks that make them more relatable to the students who pet and play with them. The assistant therapy dog coordinator, Peter Hodgson, started with the program in 2007 – this will be his eighth year involved in the program. The session is to initiate a positive mindset in students who interact with the dogs.
“The dogs come in as a stress-reliever,”said Hodgson. “And in the college you have people that are maybe their first time away from home.”
The owners rotate the animals with each visit so the dogs do not get overwhelmed with the chaotic environment. None of the dogs currently have any disabilities, Hodgson says. A miniature poodle with only three legs just retired, but there are other therapy dogs with notoriety .
With dozens of energetic students not only being around them, but also touching them, the animals stayed surprisingly calm in uncontrolled situations. Hodgson says the dogs stay calm because it just comes naturally to larger breeds.
“Labs and golden retrievers are laid-back dogs naturally, and the smaller dogs are selected because they are tested for that,” said Hodgson. “When they test dogs they’re exposed to patients with Alzheimer’s disease and patients in wheelchairs and things being dropped.”
QNet News asked Hodgson why there are no therapy cats, he says the idea has been tossed around, but dogs seem to be people’s favourite. St. John Ambulance certifies the dogs for public use to make sure they are stable for intense situations.
Hodgson said he and his dog Mocha prefer to work with students, but they also enjoy going into long-term care facilities. Sometimes, a dog is the only visitor residents there get.
According to Catherine O’Rourke, director of student success, if you spend just five minutes with the dogs it will boost endorphin levels, creating vast health benefits. Student Emily Kellett enjoyed the experience, saying, “Yes, the dogs were absolutely adorable and were so cheerful and made me focus less on all the stress going on right now.”
When asked if she will visit next time they are here she said, “Of course!”
The Therapy Dogs will be returning to the college on Nov. 11 from noon to 2 p.m. in the Shark Tank Pub.