There were plenty of things we loved about college. Taking finals wasn’t one of them.
But then again, we never had the pleasure of studying in the presence of a pleasant little furry critter (unless you count that one kid from Room 118.)
Not so for the students in Strout Hall at NHTI, who got to take a study break with some cuty and cuddly animals from the Pope Memorial SPCA on Tuesday night. Cesar the dog and Pecan the cat made an appearance in the building’s lounge to give the kiddos a chance to take their minds off their upcoming tests for an hour or so.
“Who doesn’t want to play with a dog a little bit?” asked student Kayla Barnes from Wilton. “It puts you in a really good mood because the dog is obviously going to love you to death. I’ve been doing homework for four hours, so to come down here is nice.”
It may not have been the first wildlife encounter the Strout Hall residents had this year – there were reports of hedgehogs and a fox outside, and rumblings about a mouse and some ants inside – but it was most certainly the most therapeutic one.
Cesar made the rounds from one group of students to the next, offering face licks to anyone who wanted one – or, if we’re being honest, really just anyone. And while Pecan seemed happy to keep his distance from Cesar, the feline did get quite comfortable on the couch in the lounge and a few laps throughout the hour.
“It’s great,” said student Jared Stephenson. “One, it gets everyone involved together. And it just clears everything up. It’s a good break from studying.”
The event was organized by Eric Benn, Strout Hall residence director, and Colby Chaput, the hall’s president, to calm some jangled nerves as finals approached. South Hall on the NHTI campus had recently held a similar event with some animals from the SPCA.
“Everyone gets really stressed at finals, so it was a good time to bring people down,” Chaput said. “To take a little break is nice. We don’t have animals here, so to get to have a dog or cat around brings back a little home environment.”
Cesar and Pecan were certainly at home, spending pleny of time on the furniture in the lounge. If they’d had backpacks and headphones on, it might have been difficult to determine whether they were actual students (minus the opposable thumbs and two-legged walking and stuff).
The SPCA enjoys community outreach opportunities like this, especially ones involving college students since most traditional visits include the elderly or the very young, said David Leach, volunteer and special events coordinator at the SPCA.
“A lot of people miss their pets at home,” Leach said. “This is a little taste of home for that last push for finals before you go back home.”
Animals are selected based on specific characterstics for these types of visits, Leach said, as it takes the right temperament and level of obedience to be able to handle a large crowd. Sometimes the animals that attend are up for adoption at the shelter, too, as was the case with Pecan on Tuesday night.
Cesar was not up for adoption, but he was the life of the party – which wasn’t exactly a surprise to his handler, Abby Lange. So did she think the event was a good idea.
“Are you kidding? I was in New York for three days for business and all I could think was I can’t wait to get back to my dogs,” Lange said. “I can’t imagine what these kids with animals at home (are thinking).”
Turns out the therapy isn’t only for the students, either. Cesar was used to a confined lifestyle when Lange adopted him, creating something of a shy persona, but through training and situations like Tuesday night’s, he’s become a total love bug.
“It’s excellent for him,” Lange said. “Anytime I can go somewhere and see really positive interaction between people and animals (I love it). It’s a win-win.”
To see all the animals available for adoption at the SPCA or to learn more about getting involved in a similar event, visit popememorialspca.org.
