The library is more crowded than it has been all year, and may be even more crowded tonight. The Moffett Library will be the host to several dogs brought to help relieve stress and relax the students who are studying into the wee hours of the night.
The therapy dogs will be on campus at Moffett Library, Dec. 3, from 5-7 p.m.
The stress-relieving benefits of hanging around puppies have been known for quite some time, but in recent years more and more universities are jumping on the puppy bandwagon. More universities also have pet-friendly dormitories. Yale and Harvard are just two schools have therapy dogs available to students year around. Their dogs can be borrowed from the library with a checkout catalog just as if the dog was a library book.
Morgan Pigman, psychology senior, said, “Puppies make people happy, being happy releases positive endorphins in your body, and that fights stress, which is good.”
Sam Bartek, finance senior, said, “Puppies are awesome. They are like mini bundles of joy, I would not mind at all if we had a pack of dogs running around campus at all times.”
Taylor Brown, business junior, said, “Hospitals have been using dogs for therapy for a very long time, and the benefits have been great. I think it is a great idea for MSU to invest in a few therapeutic dogs. Today’s students are more stressed than ever, and always look for a way out. The dogs could be a healthy alternative to relieving stress, to replace perhaps binge drinking or doing drugs.”
The idea of dogs on campus seems to be a very popular one. Many students have thought it would be a great idea. The only downside could be the possible mess brought to campus.
Jarrod Liston, exercise physiology senior, said, “I would love to see dogs on campus, to give a pooch a nice hug after a rough test would cheer just about anybody up. That could change quickly if I walk into a big pile of poo, though.”
Leah Lychock, biology freshman, said, “I don’t know how much stress they would relieve, but I do like dogs.”
Lychock said she has been up late studying almost every night and her stress is at an all-time high, so while she said she is skeptical of the puppies’ effect, Lychock said at this point she is willing to give it a try.
“I like dogs and would be willing to try anything to relax a bit,” Lychock said.
