Sebastian Martin & Joshua Prevette
palmettoreport@gmail.com

(Rock Hill, S.C.) — Dogs are often considered man’s best friend and students at Winthrop University likely agree, as students can often be seen spending time bonding with therapy dogs who visit the campus.

Twice a month dog owners and trainers from Rock Hill-based PAWS Together bring their animals to the DiGorgio Campus Center to provide emotional support for students and others.

“It does help their (the students’) mental state. So when the students have exams or different things or are missing home, it’s nice to be here that they can find a little comfort from the dogs,” said Christine Raszeja, a trainer with PAWS Together.

Students can often be seen gathering around the dogs, as they take a quick pit stop in between classes.

“It’s always, like, a bright spot in my day. When I come in here, it’s like oh, ‘it’s therapy dog day,’” said Christopher, a grad student in psychology, who didn’t give his last name.

The dog handlers say the animals can help relieve a person’s stress and improve their mental health.

“What we try to do is bring a little bit of home comfort to the kids, as they’re going through their trials and tribulations of their courses,” said Barrie Mahal, a dog owner with PAWS Together.

“Many times, obviously, when they’re dealing with finals and things of that nature and it’s even more important to give them some opportunity to reduce some of their stress and enjoy life a little bit beyond the book work and that kind of thing,” said Mahal.

“There’s been some studies that show that the impact it has on someone petting (a dog) can actually reduce stress, just that, I think it’s like a dopamine release or serotonin. So, it’s just a calming influence,” said Larry, a dog owner with PAWS Together, who didn’t give his last name.

Mahal says the dogs also benefit from the interactions.

“These (dogs) are all meant to be engaged with and petted, and that’s what they love,” he said. “In the therapy dog approach, those dogs that have gone through the training and gone through the certification and really show that (engagement) characteristic at a higher level. So, they’re wanting to engage with you as much as you want to engage with them.”

Therapy dog sessions have been held on the Winthrop campus for a number of years and there are at least two more visits planned before the semester ends.

This is likely good news to many students who are eager to show some love to their fluffy friends, by sharing a scratch or a treat or two, as they work on end of semester projects and prepare for final exams.

“The thing that I love about it is that the kids love to come in and just sit down on the floor with them, and pet them, and engage with them. We’ve actually had a couple of times where some of the kids have actually laid down on the floor and tried to snuggle with them,” Mahal said.

“I think all of us have to have this nature of wanting to engage with something that gives you unconditional love back and that’s what the beauty of these dogs are in general.”

The next therapy dog visits are scheduled for Wednesday, April 22 from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and Tuesday, April 28 from 1-3 p.m.