Sussex University is bringing therapy dogs to campus this week in an attempt to relieve student stress following the winter mid-year assessment period. Trained dogs from local charity Sussex Caring Pets will bring comfort to students when they arrive on campus on Thursday morning for an hour-long de-stress session.
The event is gathering so much interest among the campus community that students will have to sign up for tickets and wait in line to see the popular pooches. Almost 600 people have RSVP’d saying they will be attending, with a further 1,000 showing an interest.
Jill, the NHS Hospitals and Community-Based Services Coordinator for the charity, said:”No matter where we visit or what form that visit takes, our therapy support dogs leave people feeling less stressed and with a smile on their face which, I think we can all agree, is an important part of anyone’s recovery process.”
Therapy animals are typically taken to hospitals to put smiles on the faces of patients and anxious relatives. They are often taken to specialist units such as stroke wards and children’s hospitals, where the company of a well-behaved canine or feline companion is warmly welcomed. Care home residents also benefit from the stimulus of interacting with a furry friend, with many elderly people telling the Caring Pets volunteers their own fond memories of past pets.
