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Health Initiatives | Posted: March 25, 2019
Kimberly Fulton
Marketing Intern
Summary Sentence:
Everyone says that a dog is a man’s best friend, but just how accurate is that statement? Hear from Georgia Tech students on why they love pet therapy!
Full Summary:
Everyone says that a dog is a man’s best friend, but just how accurate is that statement? Hear from Georgia Tech students on why they love pet therapy!
Pet Therapy in the CRCEveryone says that a dog is a man’s best friend, but just how accurate is that statement?
Spending time with a dog or a cat has been shown to elevate your levels of serotonin and dopamine, which help you to relax. Dog owners are less likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, and high blood pressure. Georgia Tech Health Initiatives recognizes the power of the paw and has begun to host pet therapy sessions year round. We asked Georgia Tech students what they love about pet therapy on campus!
“Pet therapy gives me a chance to relax and forget about the stressors in my life”, remarked third-year literature media and communications student Dana Hicky. “There is something about puppy cuddles that make you remember that your happiness is the most important and other things will fall into place,” said Hicky. “I like that you can stop by for a minute and pet a dog, or you can stay for as long as you want,” said third-year, chemical engineering student, Sarah Hall. “Sometimes I come out of my class and there are puppies and it always makes my day better.”
Spencer Schiavo, a fourth-year industrial engineering student said, “Pet therapy is something that everyone should do. Whether things are going well, or they have had a tough day, it is always nice to see dogs when you are walking around campus. When petting dogs, you can’t help but adjust your mood to theirs.” Hicky said, “students should stop by a pet therapy session in order to take a break from school.” Hall agrees with her in saying, “Mental Health is incredibly important, and if stopping to pet a dog makes people happy, then everyone should do it.”
Health Initiatives offers three more pet therapy sessions this semester. These sessions are open to the entire Georgia Tech community.
March 26th 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm – Aerospace Engineering
April 12th 11:00 am – 12:30 pm – College of Computing
April 24th 12:00pm – 1:30pm – Student Center 3:20
For more information about pet therapy and other Health Initiatives events go to healthinitiatives.gatech.edu/pet-therapy.
