Exam season getting you down? A four-legged friend might be just what you need. 

Photo credit: VictoriaNowOver 700 dogs and their owners volunteer for the St. John Ambulance Society across BC and the Yukon.

The Camosun College library and the St. John Ambulance Society have teamed up to provide students the opportunity to hangout with therapy dogs to relieve the stresses of the exam season.

Camosun has been providing this support for a number of years, however this is the first time they have welcomed back their furry friends since the COVID-19 pandemic began back in the spring of 2020. 

Director of Learning Services Sybil Harris, who helps organize the sessions, believes therapy dogs can help students decompress from their studies during the most stressful time of the semester:

“The reaction is always the same,” said Harris. “There’s just a huge smile that breaks on the student’s face. There’s been a number of research papers that show therapy dogs have an absolute positive impact on the mental health of undergrad students. When you’re studying, it can be pretty isolating, so you can come up here, talk to someone you don't know and make a connection.” 

Lisa Butler, owner of Boston–a seven-year-old golden retriever–also sees the sessions as providing a rewarding experience for the therapy dogs and students alike:

“[Boston] loves it,” said Harris. “Pets all day…Dogs are quite powerful in terms of bringing a smile to someone’s face and making someone’s day, especially during a stressful time.”

The first session took place on Monday at the college’s Interurban campus, with the second one scheduled for 1:30pm on Monday, Apr. 4 at the Lansdowne campus.