Tuesday March 29, 2022 | SAANICH, BC
by Jalen Codrington | Island Social Trends
Students at the Interurban campus of Camosun College took a much-needed break from their hectic exam season yesterday, to drop in for some canine one-on-one time.
Passersby outside the campus library were greeted by four fluffy friends and their handlers from the St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Program.
“It’s a paw-sitive day,” said Rodney Porter, Executive Director of Communications and Marketing at Camosun, who was on hand for the experience at Interurban. The same activity will be offered at Camosun’s Lansdowne Campus next week (on Monday April 4 for two hours, starting at 1:30 pm).
Canine stars of the day:
Among the pooches on campus was eight-year-old Max, a handsome black springer spaniel.
There was also Boston, a golden retriever named after the NHL team.
But perhaps the star of the show was the energetic mini dachshund Jessie, who spent much of the event combing the library for snacks.
Paused during the pandemic:
The is first time the St. John’s team has been engaging with campuses since the pandemic paused the program two years ago.
According to the St John Ambulance Therapy Dog Program website, the group visits thousands of people across the country in schools, hospitals, or long-term care and mental health facilities, to bring them the therapeutic benefits of these four-legged friends. The program has more than 3,500 volunteer dog teams that have provided over 275,000 hours of visiting time at various locations.
Camosun on board:
“It’s a fabulous program,” said Camosun Director of Learning Services Sybil Harrison. Harrison told Island Social Trends that Camosun had been employing dog therapy for six or seven years prior to the pandemic.
“If […] you can step away, decrease stress, make yourself happy, you’re able to go back, get focussed on your work, and be successful,” she said.
Harrison pointed to the 2018 survey-style research by Stanely Coren, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at UBC, which suggests that after spending time with canine companions, student stress levels plummet, and happiness and energy improve.
Other studies have suggested that the positive effects of doggie interactions can last as long as six weeks.
A moment to relax:
One of the students interacting with the pets yesterday was Wendy Wang, a third-year Athletic and Exercise Therapy student.
“Finals are approaching and I’m having a hard time balancing school and life,” she said. “Seeing the dogs today was a nice way to relax for a bit.”
