Exam and deadline season always brings stress and angst but the lucky students at the University of Central Lancashire, in England, will have the perfect way of relaxing: Their very own puppy room.
Organized by the students’ union as part of the ‘SOS (Stressed Out Students) campaign’, students who want to de-stress will get to cuddle puppies in a dedicated room.
The program is coordinated in partnership with the Guide Dogs charity (who will be providing the puppies) and the event will be held for one day on 7 May. The group may look to continue the program should it turn out to be a success.
Spots have to be booked in advance, so as to limit the number of people in the room at any one time, so that both the puppies and the people don’t get stressed out.
It should come as no surprise that the puppy room is already fully-booked, and the reservation list is also at maximum capacity.
The Union takes special steps, in addition to limiting the number of people in the room, to ensure the puppies don’t get stressed out too.
According to the group’s event page on Facebook, “the puppies will have regular breaks throughout the 3 hours and be with their handlers at all times.”
A separate ‘chill out’ room will also be set up for the puppies “if they need it”.
Attendees are asked to pay a donation of £1.50 (about $2), which will go towards the Guide Dogs charity.
The event doesn’t just help the student. It’s also a great opportunity for the guide dogs-in-training to get used to being around people.
While the program may sound unconventional, it has been tried at other schools before. Canada’s Dalhousie University offered a similar event for students last year and pets have long been associated with lower anxiety levels and better health outcomes.
Tech companies, such as games maker Zynga, are also catching onto the trend by having pet-friendly workplaces that encourage people to bring their pets to work.
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