Therapy dogs offer mid-terms mental break

It mid-term exam week over at the Mat-Su College, and while students sweat it out over English, Biology, Math, and other subjects, trying to get that grade that will bump up their grade point average, the school also has a few four-legged furry friends to help them decompress.

Carol Shay is stopping by all week with her therapy dogs Gabie and Stannete to bring some furry calmness to the chaos and stress exams can bring.

Shay, who founded Alaska Assistance Dogs in 2001 to bring service dogs to Alaskans with special needs, has been bringing her dogs to the college since 2014, helping people perk up and allowing them to engage with the beloved golden retrievers.

It’s not just the students, and yes, staff that benefit from the dogs visiting, but it is helpful to the dogs she trains to learn how to interact with the two-legged friends taking a time out from their day, as was the case with Gabie, a young retriever who was tuckered out from her time with the humans.

Shay has also brought dogs to other schools in the Mat-Su School District, including the Mat-Su Day School, where her therapy dogs helped calm some of the diverse students. “It changed their outlook entirely.”

Another school that benefitted from her therapy dogs was Houston High School, following the 2018 earthquake that had severely damaged the Houston Middle School, forcing the schools to temporarily combine students and staff.

“The dog we brought there really helped students cope in the aftermath of the earthquake.”

Shay doesn’t have any plans to stop bringing her dogs to Mat-Su College, or any schools that might benefit from a little canine compassion. “Dogs are so incredible at helping identify and cope with stress. They can really change someone’s outlook.”