ETSU Public Safety recently introduced a new member to the Public Safety team, a dog named Pepper. However, Pepper isn’t a trained K-9 dog. She’s a therapy dog whose job is bringing comfort and joy to students around campus.
“She will be here as a source of support for our students, whether it be during exam times or when someone might be in distress or may just be feeling homesick,” Captain Mark Tipton said.
Anyone will be able to pet Pepper any time they see her around campus, and I think bringing Pepper onto the Public Safety team is going to pay off because of the benefits she will give to students.
Therapy animals have been shown to provide mental and physical health benefits to people. According to research done at the University of California Los Angeles, animal-assisted therapy can lower blood-pressure, reduce physical pain and slow down anxiety-induced breathing. For mental health effects, petting an animal can release serotonin, oxytocin and prolactin, which are mood-boosting hormones. Therapy animals can also encourage relaxation and reduce anxiety. They also help ease loneliness, which is something everyone experiences, especially in college.
Bringing Pepper to ETSU is a great way to promote good mental health and improve the days of everyone who is stressed or struggling with personal issues. College is a stressful time of transition for a lot of students, and many people live far away from family or friends and do not have a support system nearby to help them cope. Being able to interact with Pepper is going to make a difference in the lives of everyone at ETSU who come into contact with her, especially those who feel they don’t have people to turn to for help.
Including a therapy dog shows that ETSU Public Safety cares about students’ mental health as well as their physical safety. Pepper is going to brighten people’s days around campus for years to come.
