pets and relieving stress

By Malak Zubaydi

Therapeutic Paws of Canada brought puppies to the International Student Centre at the University of Windsor on Feb. 24 to help students relieve their stress by petting and spending time with the puppies.
Students gathered together to play, pet, hug and feed the puppies.
Nursing students at the university came up with the idea for the event because they know many students are feeling stressed and a previous experience with the pets showed that it is a way to decrease stress.
The event in 2014 was very successful.
“We know that during the mid-term season a lot of students are very stressed and this is another way for them to de-stress themselves,” said Lok Yik, a nursing student at the university.
Ravi Sharma, an industrial engineering student at the university came to the event to play and spend time with the pets. He said he enjoyed it and it was fun for him.
“I love pets and that’s the only reason why I came here. If you love something and you’re doing it that helps you relieve stress and I like playing with pets,” said Sharma.
There are many ways pets can help people. They help them physically, emotionally and socially. They also help them be healthier and live longer.
“We have read recent research like nursing articles showing that there is scientific evidence which says playing with pets can decrease stress,” said Elaiza Parado, who is also a nursing student at the university.
Pets help people to keep moving. A recent British study showed the interactions stimulated by a dog as the key to a better sense of psychological well-being.
Research shows that pets also help people survive heart attacks. In 2003 Dr. Erika Friedmann reported in her latest study in the American Journal of Cardiology that pet owners have healthier hearts than heart attack patients who don’t have a dog, cat or other pets.