Students de-stressed for fall midterms with therapy dogs

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Therapy Dogs International (TDI) Chapter 256 led by April Dennis at the St. Petersburg College Allstate Center Come Pet a Dog event held October 6th, 2015
Therapy Dogs International (TDI) Chapter 256 led by April Dennis at the St. Petersburg College Allstate Center Come Pet a Dog event held October 6th, 2015

Last spring, Therapy Dogs International (TDI) brought five dogs to the Allstate Center Library to help students de-stress during their exams. It was one of the library’s most popular events so the therapy dogs were brought back on October 6th to help students once again as they prepared for their Fall midterms.

Therapy dog James Taylor at the Allstate Center Library Come Pet a Dog event October 6th, 2015
Therapy dog James Taylor at the Allstate Center Library Come Pet a Dog event October 6th, 2015

You may be wondering, “What is Therapy Dogs International (TDI)?” According to their website, they are a “volunteer organization dedicated to regulating, testing and registration of therapy dogs and their volunteer handlers for the purpose of visiting nursing homes, hospitals, other institutions and wherever else therapy dogs are needed.” The organization was founded in 1976 in New Jersey. You can click here for more information about Therapy Dogs International (TDI). You can also find them on Facebook.

I had the pleasure of meeting a couple of the dogs, and I can attest to the fact that indeed they can assist in helping a person. I felt much more relaxed after visiting with them. So who did I meet? First, I met James Taylor the Poodle. His owner, Lisa Palmer, shared with me that he was rescued from the streets in Polk County by an officer when he was two years old. He is now four. He likes to visit area hospitals and schools. James Taylor was a joy to visit with.

St. Petersburg College College of Public Safety Fire Academy #45 student Jordan Dahlstrom with therapy dog Dora the Golden Retriever at the Come Pet a Dog event at the Allstate Center Library October 6th, 2015
St. Petersburg College College of Public Safety Fire Academy #45 student Jordan Dahlstrom with therapy dog Dora the Golden Retriever at the Come Pet a Dog event at the Allstate Center Library October 6th, 2015

I also met Dora the Golden Retriever. She is pictured to the right with SPC Fire Academy #45 student Jordan Dahlstrom. Her owner, Bill Shivers, shared with me that she is three and a half years old. He said that recently she visited a school, and she listened to children as they read books to her. Dora was an attentive listener when I met her, and you can tell by the picture that she’s a joy to be around.

From what I heard, students walked away a little less stressed and ready to tackle their midterms. We want to take this time to thank TDI for all you do to help people from all walks of life cope with the stressors life can bring. We’d also like to thank the owners of all of the therapy dogs that were present at the event. We are hoping that we will see you next spring!

Until next time…have a great weekend!

One thought on “Students de-stressed for fall midterms with therapy dogs”

  1. What a great idea! My mom is an occupational therapist and has our golden retriever certified as a therapy dog. She takes her to hospitals, nursing homes and schools to spend time with her patients and other people in need of comfort. I really think dogs can do so much for people just by being there showing them love. This is a great idea to do around exam time to reduce stress. I’m going to suggest it to my mom as she and her colleagues are always taking their dogs to new events.

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