Dozens of puppies pounced with delight on students who eagerly reached down to pet them. Other dogs ran around the room with tennis balls looking for partners to play fetch with.
Draco the Chihuahua stole the show when he frightened a much larger golden retriever with his loud, high-pitched yelps.
Students sat on the floor petting Maddie the French bulldog, who lay with her legs in the air. Her face showed utter contentment as students rubbed her stomach continuously.
Fluffy Friends for Finals brought several dogs into the residence halls on Wednesday and Thursday evenings in Hedrick Fireside Lounge and De Neve Plaza Room, respectively.
The program was organized by the Office of Residential Life in conjunction with UCLA Counseling and Psychological Services. ORL staff members and CAPS counselors brought in their own dogs to play with stressed students, said Hannah Kim, a resident assistant and co-programmer of Fluffy Friends for Finals. The event was intended as a study break before finals, during which students on the Hill could abandon their work and relax with the dogs.
“There have been studies done to show that when you pet dogs, your blood pressure and heart rate decreases, and your immune system functions increases,” said CAPS psychologist Susan Bakota.
Stress leads to an opposite physiological reaction, so such interactions would be beneficial for students experiencing study-induced tension, Bakota said. Students themselves noticed an immediate change in their attitude when they began to pet the dogs.
“I feel a lot more relaxed and calm,” said Michelle Favalora, a first-year political science student, as she played with Maddie. “You kind of forget about your work for a little bit when you’re here.”
Bakota started the Fluffy Friends for Finals program three years ago. She said she tries to schedule the event for the week before finals when students are studying more than usual.
“There is a certain sympathy that the dogs feel when they are around humans. They love people and are nonjudgmental,” Bakota said.
Students also came to the event in order to connect with dogs that reminded them of their homes, Bakota said.
“For (these students), it’s a reminder of home (because) they feel close to the dogs,” Bakota said.
When Hannah Bishop-Moser, a second-year undeclared life sciences student, came to the event, she immediately “fell in love” with a golden standard poodle named Abercrombie.
“Instead of cramming my head full of information, I can take a break and watch all the dogs play,” Bishop-Moser said.
Petting dogs is not only about the touch component, Kim said. She added that students begin to open up more and consequently feel more comfortable talking to counselors about anything that stresses them out.
Pet therapy is also used in hospitals to relieve stress in patients, doctors and nurses, said Jack Barron, director of the UCLA People Animal Connection at Ronald Reagan Medical Center. PAC volunteers bring dogs into hospital rooms so that patients can interact with and pet the animals.
“Pet therapy works wonders on patients in hospitals, because for the moment, the patient’s mind is focused on the animal,” Barron said. “They are not thinking about why they are in the hospital or what procedure they have the next day.”
Bakota said she agrees that the principle is the same for students studying for finals.
“It’s so healing to be with the dogs,” Bakota said. “It really minimizes your stress and allows you to relax.”