The event offers emotional comfort to students when they need it most.
SCRANTON, Pa. — Once a semester at the University of Scranton, the Dionne Green campus goes to the dogs.
“People are always like, ‘Oh, this is the best day ever!’ So, it’s definitely a very much anticipated and exciting event on campus,” said Bridgid Guarnuccio, a University of Scranton junior.
For twenty years now, students, staff, and faculty have been invited to bring their dogs to school, and for a few hours, the pups provide a much-needed brain break.
“Oh man, students get so stressed out with finals and final projects and everything, it gets insane. And it’s a very good opportunity to come here and pet some dogs on a busy Tuesday,” said Frank McCann, a University of Scranton student.
Finals begin in a few weeks, and the students say there’s just something about petting a dog that brings you back down to Earth.
Diane Buckley brought her dog, Riley Ray, providing a ray of sunshine on this otherwise cloudy day on campus.
“It’s a big thing just to help them feel better and help them just to release that stress and pet the dog and feel all that comfort and love from Riley Ray,” said Diane Buckley, St. Joseph’s Center.
But the students see some unintended benefits to pet therapy day, like newfound connections with their professors.
“Getting to meet their dogs, you’ve seen so many pictures of on lock screens and desktops the last four years, it’s a lot of fun getting to actually meet these dogs,” said Christina Kennedy, a University of Scranton senior.
And many of these students had to leave their own dogs at home, so this provides a kind of comfort they’re really missing.
“Being a college student, not being able to have a pet, it’s tough. I miss my dog, I miss my friend’s dogs. It’s always good to have this even if it’s for a short time,” said McCann.