Lori Lewis and trained therapeutic dog Morty offer stress relief to students Angelica Belano, Reizelle Valerio and Luisa Siino.
You can’t cuddle with birds, observes criminology major Yumna Kashif. That’s why she made a point of stopping in to visit with the certified stress-relieving dogs of Therapeutic Paws of Canada, Monday in the CAW Student Centre.
Kashif owns four budgies, but says they can’t compete with canines for combatting pre-exam jitters.
“This is a great way for me to socialize with animals and make new friends,” she said as she held Mya, a small Pomeranian mix. “It is very relaxing.”
Students lined up outside the door waiting for their turns taking a “Paws from Stress” during the first of two campus appearances this week by the volunteers—both two- and four-legged. They will return Wednesday, from noon to 1:30 p.m. in Salon A of the Ambassador Auditorium, on the second floor of the CAW Student Centre.