You have probably seen the adorable dogs walking around the school a few times already this school year, always surrounded by hordes of excited students. You may have wondered, “What da dog doin’?” Thanks to Mrs. Pagan and the rest of the guidance department, the therapy dogs will be visiting MLHS twice a month from now on during unit lunch!
The dogs started coming to Mountain Lakes about 4 years ago, and their first visit was during the AP season. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect because this time of the year is one of the most stressful times for many high school students; the effect of these dogs on the students was so positive that they have been coming to MLHS ever since. The good news is that therapy dog visits have become much more frequent throughout the past few years and many students have greatly appreciated this initiative that helps them calm down despite all the stress of a typical school day.
Pets of all kinds have been known to reduce stress and alleviate moods, even in people who may not identify as “animal lovers.” In fact, the prevalence of pet therapy, more formally known as animal-assisted therapy (AAT), is increasing in many educational environments, especially during exam seasons, as well as in other stress-inducing surroundings, such as hospitals. Interestingly, researchers believe that how soft or cute these dogs are doesn’t result in these outcomes, but instead, the dogmatic bond between animals and humans causes these effects.
Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, is credited with popularizing pet therapy as she made the connection that many of the nursing home patients with chronic illnesses showed noticeable positive mindsets when they spent their time around animals. These changes can be attributed to the way that spending time with animals causes the release of “happy hormones” like endorphins, which can result in a euphoric sensation– in some cases, this can block out feelings of pain. A relationship has been observed regarding stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine, which are lowered when someone spends time with animals, like therapy dogs.
These effects can certainly be observed in Mountain Lakes too. As more students have been available to see the therapy dogs due to the unit lunch period, attendance rates in the wellness room during visiting days have skyrocketed. Chelsea Lavelle, a junior at MLHS this year, states, “I love hearing about the stories and stuff they have about the dog. They are good for distracting from whatever stress you have with school or [life] and honestly, I look forward to seeing them every month!” Earlier in November, when therapy dogs Maeby and Sydney came to visit, it was certainly so fun to learn about all their favorite hobbies, foods, and tricks.
Another junior, Marissa Prager, shares this sentiment and adds that, “It gives [her] something to look forward to in the morning on some school days, and seeing them after a tough morning makes [her] a lot less stressed. [Her] and lots of others, take school really seriously sometimes, so having the dogs there is something that is just fun and alleviating.” Additionally, the therapy dog visits also allow students to interact with other students who share the same enthusiasm about spending time with the dogs, and peer support is also a contributing factor to lowering stress levels.
Sometimes, the widespread love for these dogs has also caused students to regret not being able to spend time with them during the lunch block, which can get quite busy. MLHS Junior Arunima Paul believes that “the therapy dogs are the highlight of the day,” but also expresses, “the only caveat would be that as a student taking multiple science classes, [she] barely [has] time during [her] lunch blocks to eat, go to club meetings, go to lab and also visit the dogs.” Sophomore Rowan Zollner, who also finds the dogs extremely helpful for staying calm and lowering their anxiety, points out, “Many students are wary about larger groups of individuals and people tend to gravitate to and crowd the wellness room, deterring [some] from visiting the dogs.” This is especially true recently because with the return to in-person learning, COVID remains a concern to several students. But luckily, Mrs. Pagan has a solution to both these issues.
MLHS is looking to have these dogs visit during other times throughout the day as well in order to maximize the amount of time that students can share with the dogs, whether that be before school, during other periods, and even after school, perhaps during special events. The only issue is that the dogs are available for only 1 and a half-hour time blocks because their energy levels start to drop after this point. But finding other 90 minute slots is something that Mrs. Pagan is definitely trying in order to address this issue and make students’ experiences with the dogs even more memorable.
Like students, staff members have also found joy in spending time with therapy dogs. Ms. Seibert, whose room is ten steps away from the wellness room, says “my workload can get overwhelming at times and knowing that there will be therapy dogs right outside my door on a monthly basis honestly helps so much. I even keep a photo of one of the therapy dogs, Emma, with her factsheet next to my desk as a reminder for when my stress piles up.” The exciting and joyful atmosphere of the wellness room during these visits boost everyone’s mood as well. Mrs. Pagan conveys, “I love seeing how happy it makes everyone else feel when the dogs visit and everyone’s faces immediately light up, and it makes me feel good as well. It’s really amazing to see how one little animal can change the whole vibe of the school and a person’s day.”
It’s clear that the therapy dogs certainly do make positive impacts on everyone who interacts with them and MLHS can’t wait to spend more time with these wonderful fluffy playful friends. Regardless of who let the dogs out, the MLHS student body and staff are so grateful that they’re here!
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