Orange County college has a new plan for dealing with finals-week stress: Puppies

The fact that a friendly animal can help ease a human's stress is well-established.  It was only a matter of time, then, before institutes of higher learning started catching on.  Locally, Chapman University in Orange County has done just that; a student group has arranged to have 10 puppies -- Maltese, Yorkshire terriers, dachshunds and pugs -- delivered to the campus to play with students during finals week.  Our colleague My-Thuan Tran has the story; here's an excerpt:

On Wednesday, in the middle of "cram week," a bunch of puppies will be stationed outside the university library for students to pet and play with. The event, called "Furry Friends for Finals," is being organized by the university's Active Minds club, which promotes mental awareness.

"It has been proven that having a dog helps relieve stress, so we thought it would be a cute idea if we brought some furry friends on campus," said Jennifer Heinz, a sophomore and integrated educational studies major who helped organize the event.

Heinz said her poodle-and-Maltese mix, Bindi, helps her relax.

"I love my dog," she said. "Dogs are always so happy and want to play, and that helps make you happier."

Heinz said she's received comments from other students expressing excitement about the cuddly canines.

"You can automatically see on someone's face when something happy comes to them, and little dogs are a cute way of doing that," she said.

THERE'S MORE; READ THE REST.

Photo: Shannon Stewart with three of the puppies she will take to Chapman University next week. Credit: Christine Cotter / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Wendy]

I think that is an awesome idea, being under stress of finales, away from home, & holidays coming....Therapy dogs to the rescue. A dog can can bring out the best in people.
I would much rather see a college student turn to snuggle a dog & feel better than turning to a pill or alcohol.

[L.A. Voter]

A cursory internet search shows that Puppies & Reptiles for Parties is a company that uses puppies for children's parties and sells them. Where are these puppies coming from (puppy mills, anyone?) and is anyone ensuring that they get good homes? (Or the reptiles for that matter?)

Nope -- they're just a product.

I understand about stress but if college kids want to interact with animals why don't they volunteer at a shelter? This whole notion of using puppies as some sort of now-you-need-it-now-you-don't stress reliever, the canine equivalent of an X-box, just perpetuates the morally bankrupt notion that animals exist merely to satisfy our shallowest whims.

You know what really relieves stress? Doing the right thing. Ultimately it's the only thing that relieves stress.

[Adam Yoblon]

A very one-sided story here. What ABOUT the puppies? The company providing them, creatively named "Puppies and Reptiles for Parties", appears to get them from puppy mills and then exploits them further by charging upwards of $200 to provide puppy entertainment at parties. Wow. A more humane plan for the students would be to work with an animal shelter instead of this ridiculous and very suspect rent-a-puppy organization. The poor puppies are now stressed while the students smile. Sorry, but this final exam stress reliever gets a failing grade.