Yale Law Library loans therapy dog to stressed students

Student care has been a high priority for many Universities for some time now, with increasing importance placed upon personal tutors and campus counselors to care for overall well-being. It goes without saying that traditionally such services have been provided by humans. That is, until now. Yale Law School’s library will today be making the library terrier Monty available to take out on loan, in an effort to reduce students’ stress levels. According to an email from librarian Blair Kauffman, recently quoted in New York Magazine, the library’s therapy terrier Monty will be available to “check out” for thirty minute periods, with the faculty claiming “it is well documented that visits from therapy dogs have resulted in increased happiness, calmness, and overall emotional well-being.” The dog is ideal for the task not only because of his well-mannered temperament, but also because of his hypoallergenic status. Despite this, sessions with Monty will be confined to a designated non-public area to ensure there is no disruption to other students. The loaning of Monty will initially be run on a trial basis, but ABC News quotes a spokeswoman for Yale Law school Jan Conray stating “the interest in available slots has been high”. Therapy dogs are already present at Tufts University in Massachusetts, Oberlin College in Ohio and UC San Diego in California, but this is the first time we’ve heard of one being loaned out alongside books. How you can innovate to promote a happy, calm and healthy workplace? (Related: Flexible pet ownership — Five business ideas aimed at cats, dogs & their doting owners — Social networking for dogs.) Spotted by: Judy McRae