Pet therapy on deck April 24 for end-of-semester stress

April 22, 2014 | Events, UToday
By Samantha Watson



With final exams and projects approaching, it’s a stressful time of year for students and faculty at The University of Toledo.

ToledoAreaHumaneSociety_logThat’s why Commuter Student Services and Student Government have teamed up with the Toledo Area Humane Society to host an Adopt-A-Pet event Thursday, April 24, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Centennial Mall.

The event will allow students, faculty and staff to take a break and play with some of the shelter’s animals.

“It’s a great opportunity for students to get their minds off of studying and also for the pets to have some interaction outside of the Humane Society,” said Matthew Williams, a graduate assistant for Commuter Student Services.

The day of the event, participants will have the chance to meet some of the Toledo Area Humane Society’s animals in an enclosed area on Centennial Mall. But more than that, everyone has the opportunity to take one of these animals home as an adoptive or foster pet.

Those who foster a pet do so only until the Humane Society has enough space in its facility or the pet is adopted.

Student organizations also can help pets by signing up as volunteers with the Toledo Area Humane Society.

“It seems like our student population is excited for an event like this because you don’t have the opportunity to have pets when you live on campus,” Williams said. “And when you live off campus, you do have that available to you, but not all students take advantage of that.”

Williams thanked Dr. Sammy Spann, assistant provost with the Center for International Studies Programs, and Dr. Kaye Patten Wallace, senior vice president for the student experience, for helping to make the event possible and keeping the students’ best interests in mind. He also is grateful for the Toledo Area Humane Society.

“The Toledo Area Humane Society has gone out of its way to make sure we have everything we need for the event and they’re just as excited as we are,” Williams said.

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