Can Therapy Pets Really Help Relieve Stress?

We all sit gathered around on the campus library's floor, passing a packet of dog treats to one another to feed the two dogs, which eagerly wag their tails before us. They're both so enthusiastic yet easygoing and calm in the presence of the university students they've just met. 

Before long, Sunny, 4, a Cockapoo with a short black coat with white patches nearer to her underside and one atop her head, strolls up to me with a look of expectation in her eyes. Unfortunately, I disappoint as I've lost sight of where the treats have gone. 

Although I regret not making a great first impression on Sunny, I quickly realise why therapy dog visits, such as these, have been gaining popularity across the country's universities, including those of Cambridge, Swansea and Nottingham Trent, according to the BBC.   

Anyone familiar with London Metropolitan University's library will be familiar with its somewhat uninspiring ambience and sense of joylessness. Students slumped at monitors for hours on end, working on neverending essays, the uniform rows of rectangular lights suspended from above and shelf after shelf of monotonous academic texts. For today, however, the arrival of these furry guests presents an opportunity to take a break from the tedium. 

It makes sense that animal therapy is so helpful in taking the ease off stress, as Sunny's owner, Kate, explains: "There's lots of research been done about how stroking animals reduces blood pressure." 

She adds that it's not just those attending university who benefit from spending time with Sunny. "One of the things that I do with my dog mainly is reading with primary school children." 

"I think the kind of non-judgemental aspect of animals is really helpful for them because it helps them relax, and when they're reading something that maybe they feel less confident about when the animal is there, it helps them gain confidence in their own skills."

Meanwhile, the other dog before us, Andy, 3, a Working Cocker Spaniel, will soon visit the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, his owner, Zac, tells me.   

"I think maybe sometimes people feel stressed or lonely, and I think dogs do sense that," Zac says. 

"They just give you their attention when you need that sometimes," he adds.