Therapy dogs help student mental health

Home Therapy dogs help student mental health

"The therapy dogs have been an incredible support for me throughout my time at Carleton, so I was very happy to learn that they would be doing virtual office hours that allow students to interact with them."

Gillian Cook, Student

Therapy dogs help student mental health

With the disruption and uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring mental health services, such as therapy dogs, remain consistent is all the more important for student mental health.

To support its students, Carleton University is hosting virtual therapy dog sessions through Instagram. These virtual sessions are hosted by Shannon Noonan, program lead, and a number of the dog owners in response to messages from students inquiring about the service.

“The advantage we have using the technology is that a person does not have to be sitting watching live,” says Noonan. “They can enjoy it at anytime after we post for 24 hours, so there’s no worries there. Those who are lucky to be online when it goes live only adds to the excitement, and they begin messaging their friends when we go live.”

To learn more, visit Carleton University.