Students got a much-needed break while completing their final requirements for the semester at the Student Union Building last June 15, courtesy of Marley the therapy dog.

The meet and greet session is the first face-to-face animal-assisted activity (AAA) conducted by the Office of Counseling and Guidance (OCG) and Learning Resource Center (LRC) under the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs (OVCSA) for UPLB students.

The activity entitled “PAWS for a Break” aimed to encourage the participants to take a break from accomplishing academic requirements and interact with a therapy dog to de-stress.

Marley was accompanied by his PAWtner handler Dr. Maria Catalina “Doc Rina” de Luna, a faculty member at the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) and director of the UP Professional School for Agriculture and Environment.

During the session, students were able to touch and pet Marley and take photos. Marley is a male, 8-year-old labrador retriever-golden retriever cross, the two most popular breeds in the world, which are known for being affectionate, friendly, and loving.

The activity is part of the BARKada at CATropa Animal-Assisted Intervention (AAI) Program that was launched in November 2021 to help alleviate depression and anxiety among UPLB students and personnel. It also aims to strengthen the mental health referral program of the university.

After conducting a series of online trainings on AAI and animal welfare for the first batch of volunteers, the program now has 10 PAWtners, 14 PAWtrollers, 9 PAWcilitators, and 5 in-training therapy dogs and a cat.

The trainings were facilitated by Dr. de Luna, who is a member of Kalingang UPLB, the University’s Ad Hoc Committee on Mental Health and Psychosocial Wellness, and the CVM Mental Health Promotion Committee. She is also a volunteer of the UPLB SandiganSandalan program and Ugnayan ng Pahinungod’s Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Program, and a steward of Communitails Philippines.

Like Marley, therapy animals are trained to provide affection and comfort to people. They need to demonstrate a high level of restraint, remain reliable and under control, and respond to cues at all times. It is also important that partner animals genuinely enjoy participating in AAIs and accept interactions with strangers.

Studies have shown that positive human-animal interactions have calming, stress-buffering and uplifting effects on people. Numerous research also show that animal companionship helps in reducing negative human emotions and increases positive emotions.

Dogs and cats are examples of animals that are now included in AAI programs in addition to therapy.

The BARKada at CATropa program follows international standards of practice for AAI programs. PAWtner humans and animals are required to undergo training under the AAI program, where they must be evaluated by the program screening committee to determine their readiness for therapy work.

Other volunteers serving as PAWtrollers or PAWcilitators are also required to complete online trainings on AAI, animal welfare, and mental health provided by the program.

Other BARKada at CATropa volunteers helped facilitate the activity. Nikki Culing, a university research associate at the Philippine Agricultural Scientist-CAFS, and an affiliate faculty of the Department of Humanities, served as a PAWtroller, while Mavic Jimenez, a guidance services specialist, was present as PAWcilitator. The OCG and LRC staff coordinated the event and assisted the AAI team.

Upcoming activities of the program include small group sit-down sessions for students and employees and online activities on nurturing the human-animal bond. More animal-assisted interventions are in store for the future.

The AAA session coincided with the opening of the LRC Learning Hub for UPLB students for 24 hours from June 6-17 that aimed to provide students with internet access and other necessary equipment for finishing their academic requirements during the finals week. (Jea Buera)