MVHS hosted its Furry Friends Pet Assisted Therapy Services event at the Rally Court during lunch on Thursday, May 22. The event featured a variety of therapy dogs and affiliated volunteers, allowing staff and students to learn more about the organization, play with various dogs and take a break from the stress before finals week.
Furry Friends Pet Assisted Therapy Services volunteer Diane Ramelly says the organization takes dogs to visit a variety of places, not only to comfort and entertain people but also to assist senior facilities, schools and airports. She adds that events like these not only bring joy to people, but also to social dogs like Jax.
“Jax likes people more than he likes other dogs, so this is a perfect opportunity for him just to be social and go and see people and do stuff,” Ramelly said. “So that’s why we volunteer, and it makes the kids and people he sees happy, so it works out well. It’s kind of like a job for him — he doesn’t get paid, but it’s a job.”
English teacher Randy Holaday says events centered on animals can help students de-stress as the semester winds down. He adds that everyone enjoys petting events like these, as his students enjoy the company of animals.
“I always hear good stuff from this event, and everyone talks about it, even the teachers,” Holaday said. “When the animals came to my classroom, it super changed the atmosphere.”
Ramelly adds that the large crowds of students at these events feel especially rewarding and reinforce the importance of a volunteer’s work. She says that students’ enthusiasm and curiosity about the dogs help create a positive experience for both the dogs and their owners.
“It’s nice to see everybody coming up and petting the dogs,” Ramelly said. “They like it for sure. It’s also nice that they go to all the dogs and kind of figure out and see the different personalities and how they are.”
