The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

Certified therapy dogs with the local organization Paws 4 Love and rescue dogs from the Humane Society of Southeast Texas will be on campus at the Mary and John Gray Library during the week of finals, Dec. 4-10.

Dogs of all shapes and sizes can be seen, held and snuggled by all students. Therapy dogs will be in a roped area inside the library on the first floor Dec. 2 from 6:00-8:00 p.m.; Dec. 3 and 4 from 4:00-8:00 p.m. and Dec. 5 from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. The Humane Society rescue dogs will be outside the library under the shade tree Dec. 4, 8, 9 and 10 from 8:00-10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Many students had to leave a beloved pet at home when they entered college and may be a little homesick to pet and hold a dog again.

“Our goal is to help students de-stress during finals and bring a smile to their faces,” said Sara Gubala, a member of Paws 4 Love and LU political science instructor. “Research shows petting a dog lowers your blood pressure, provides stress relief, and improves your mood, which is something most students need during finals week.”

Paws 4 Love is a non-profit local chapter of the national organization Intermountain Therapy Animals that strives to bring animal-assisted therapy to schools, nursing homes, hospitals and other locations across the Golden Triangle.

“My favorite part is seeing the excited look on students’ faces when they walk into the library,” Gubala said. “This is the fourth semester that the therapy dogs have come, and I encourage students to come out and have some fun during finals. Even if you’re scared of dogs, these dogs have been trained and they just want to be loved on.”

The Humane Society of Southeast Texas is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of animals and the promotion of animal welfare throughout Southeast Texas. The Humane Society operates solely on donations and volunteer work and welcomes support from the community. The Humane Society can be contacted at (409) 833-0504 or (409) 722-0605.

For more information, contact Sara Gubala at [email protected] or Karen Nichols at [email protected].