If you haven’t already heard: pet therapy dogs are coming to Concordia! And why am I letting you in on this little secret, instead of keeping these adorable puppers to myself? It’s because I care about you, girl. I really do. As it turns out, the library isn’t just for hitting the books. You can visit the downtown Concordia library location on different dates to meet these precious puppies and let them work their magic on you. Events will be held on Nov. 30 and Dec. 6 at Vanier Library (Loyola).
In case you are not yet convinced of the realness of pet therapy magic, let me share the testimonies of a couple of lucky Concordia students. Sarah Trepanier-Chicoine and Melinda Cardinal were there the last time these adorable dogs donned their work vests during midterms, and the girls were eager to gush about the experience. Meet Sarah, now in the final year of her Biology degree. When I asked Sarah how she felt when she heard about the pet therapy event, she said, “I was so excited to hear about this, to take part in something I normally can’t. I don’t have a dog, but now I don’t have to miss out!” Sarah also said of the event that everyone there was friendly and shared the same, relaxed vibe Seriously, when was the last time you genuinely smiled this big? [Picture caption]
Meet Melinda, a Communications Graduate Diploma student. “I’m a huge animal lover and don’t currently have an ideal living situation to own a dog, so any opportunity to get some puppy love has me over the moon.” And with three different therapy dogs in attendance, there was plenty of that puppy love to go around. According to Melinda, it was actually a rather transporting event: “For a brief moment, the library was a beautiful and magical place where project deadlines didn’t exist.” “This poodle mix completely brightened my day.” Cardinal said. [Picture caption]
Uncontrollable smiling is just one of the side effects of pet therapy. These girls have also reported walking away feeling light hearted, a deep sense of calm, lower blood pressure, and like they could take on anything. Now I’m no expert, but several years’ experience as a student tells me this is definitely the optimal level to be at when taking on exams and finals. Are you convinced yet?