By HALEY HALL

Staff Writer

The average Piedmont College student leads a very busy life. There are homework assignments,  social life, work and many of Piedmont students are athletes, so on top of school work, they have practices and games. But most importantly there are deadlines, and that is why the average student gets stressed. 

Many of the people walking around our campus are extremely overwhelmed and stressed with their workload. What if there was a healthy way for us students to unwind? Well there is! 

Have you ever heard of furry friend therapy? It’s sweeping through college campuses all over the country.

Some people might think that this is a weird approach for student therapy. For many years, animals, especially dogs, have helped many people. 

Dogs have been used at places like prisons, rehabilitation centers and nursing homes. Dogs have been used to help sick patients feel better, to help prisoners learn about responsibility and clear all of their minds. 

The same thinking is applied when students encounter dogs or any furry animal at a college.

In many universities, dogs and cats are being used during finals week to allow students to take a break from there studies and focus on something positive. 

When it comes down to it, our furry friends provide a safe place for stressed out students to vent about their concerns and worries about any upcoming exams or events. Having these furry friends next to us can also help with the amount of rumors and drama being spread throughout our campus. It is someone you can talk to that cannot repeat anything you say. How ideal is that.

 When it comes to dogs at college, therapy pups are everywhere. Science has taught us that forming relationships with animals can greatly decrease cortisol levels, which is the hormone linked to stress. On top of that, it can release endorphins, which causes a person to feel happiness even if they are stressed about their workload. 

 Having your cute cuddly furry friend next to you in your dorm room allows students to get a little comfort from home. 

Many students from Piedmont come from all different areas of the world. Sometimes they may feel home-sick and want to drop out of school because they miss their home. By having animals, it could help make them feel just a little more at home. Students would also have a stress reliever living right alongside them through the good and bad times. 

Let’s be honest we all love our furry friends. When you are sad, happy and sometimes when you just don’t feel like talking to another human, having furry friends can help.