Although excitement is brewing for spring break, the next few weeks contain large workloads and time-consuming projects for mid-terms. With all the assignments piling up on top of internship searches, clubs, sports, or summer jobs, it’s nearly impossible for our mental health not to take a hit.
According to the American College Health Association, 72% of students feel stressed from prioritizing a high GPA (College Stress Statistics: Market Data Report 2026). In a unique effort to offer support, Stout has begun to host an event in the library: Destress with Dogs. While this may seem out-of-the-box at first, GitNux has claimed that the United States houses over 50,000 therapy dogs as of 2023 (Therapy Dog Statistics: Market Data Report 2026). After researching the benefits of therapy dogs, I was excited to put it to the test myself!
I had the chance to speak to Rachel Nelson, who is in charge of Destress with Dogs. She explained to me that this monthly event first began a few years back. The library originally set up a more vague “destressing” event, but when they first tried including dogs, the students loved it! Many commented that it reminded them of home, and the homesickness feeling was lifted off their chest, reducing the stress levels. Since then, the Alliance of Therapy Dogs has sent about two handlers with their pets multiple times a semester, and the turnout typically ranges from 50 to 60 attendees.
In this month’s session, students got to meet Zeus the greyhound and Elsa the Bernese Mountain dog & Great Pyrenees Mix (as seen in cover photo). Both dogs were friendly and happy the whole time they were comforting the students. The handlers to both of the dogs were very kind as well. They were knowledgeable about their pups and were quick to answer students’ questions about them. Both handlers also expressed how happy they could tell their dogs were to be surrounded by not only the Stout students during Destress with Dogs, but also when the dogs attend community events.
As stated above, the Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD) is the organization that provides this service event. ATD is an international registry of certified therapy dog teams that started over 35 years ago. It is also notable to share that this organization is on a volunteer basis. The organization hopes to help those of all ages and ailments with their therapy dogs.
While the first event of the semester has passed, there are still other dates scheduled for the spring semester. Next time you feel homesick or stressed, don’t fret; Be sure to stop by the library to discover the next time you can try this unconventional destress method!
Learn more about ATD by visiting their website: https://www.therapydogs.com/.
