Santa Barbara City College Hosts First Ever ‘Dog Therapy Day’
Some furry friends served as stress relieversto Santa Barbara City College students Wednesday afternoon.
SBCC teamed up with local nonprofit All For Animals to host its first-ever finals week”Dog Therapy Day” on campus.
About a dozen dogs were present with their volunteer humans for students to pet and take on walks.
Research shows that petting or walking dogs, or spending time with other pets, reduces the stress-causing hormone cortisol and increases levels of endorphins, or hormones associated with happy feelings.
In addition, stress-relieving activities such as visiting with animals can improve a students’ ability to remember what they learned at test time.
All thedogs at the event were certified therapy dogs, having received their training from local dog trainer Andrea Baratt, and certification by the program Love on a Leash.
