Anyone who has ever survived finals week in high school or college likely remembers all too well the anxiety that surrounds all night study sessions, late night cramming, and nights where sleep is replaced with project work and paper-writing. For students at Syracuse University, December mid-terms are filled with such late night workloads. To help students receive some much needed rest, relaxation and wellness, PAWS of CNY once again attended the University’s Pancake Breakfast at the Schine Student Center on December 5 from 10:00 pm to 1:00 am. Armed with a fluffy, tail-wagging team of therapy dogs ready to work, PAWS of CNY volunteers helped Syracuse University students to de-stress just in time for finals.
PAWS of CNY volunteers Megan and Alex James attended the event with their Australian Shepard, Stella, who visited with upwards of sixty appreciative students during the event.
“[The students] all loved Stella,” said Megan James. “They were very excited to pet, snuggle and take pictures of her.” Students often share with PAWS of CNY volunteers how much they miss their own pets back at home, and how comforting it is to spend a little bit of time with a friendly therapy dog during stressful times of the year.
“Having the dogs on campus is a great way to help students relieve stress as well as give them a taste of home when they are missing their own pets,” agreed James.
By the end of the event, Stella was undaunted by a long evening of providing therapy and wellness services.
“Stella is a great therapy dog because she does so well in crowded situations,” said James. “She is soft and beautiful, has a great temperament, [is] playful when people want to play, [and] calm when people want some quiet petting time.” For the Syracuse University students, a little bit of quiet petting time with Stella was exactly what was needed to prepare them for the remainder of finals week.
If you would like representatives from PAWS of CNY to attend your next wellness event, contact us today.