Puppies on campus are always a popular attraction for students at any time in the semester, especially during finals when academic stress is particularly high. Having a pet of any kind with you in college also provides countless mental and physical health benefits. 

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, adopting a pet can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, promote physical activity, prevent cardiovascular disease and ease depression symptoms. According to Hopkins, research has proven that social interaction between humans and dogs lowers cortisol and increases oxytocin. In other words, it reduces stress and increases happiness on a chemical level.

Karl Jicha, a university lecturer in the department of English with a doctorate in sociology, sets aside a three-week period in collaboration with the University Global Partnership Network (UGPN) in all of his classes at NC State for students to focus on mental and physical health.

“It’s been hard for a lot of students and I’ve seen more and more hitting that wall at midterms.” Jicha said. “I think it’s important to slow down, take a step back, and give the students a little bit of a breather.” 

Students also made a presentation at the end of the three-week period, during which Jicha started to notice pets becoming a popular topic in relation to mental health.  

“Pets just kept popping up in every presentation… Everybody tended to feature pets as just providing that source of comfort and emotional support,” Jicha said.

Many students who have pets of their own, or one via a roommate, have said they have experienced these health benefits and many more. 

Hannah Baldwin, a fourth-year studying industrial engineering, gained a furry friend through her roommate. 

“Before having a cat in our household during college, I think I felt more stressed overall,” Baldwin said. “It’s a great bonding experience for both me and the cat, and also me and my roommates, and it’s definitely stress relieving for all of us.”

Baldwin also said this beloved cat has created a happier home environment and an abundance of fun times for her and her roommates. 

“At least once a week we put her in a cat backpack and take her to Starbucks, and she’s so happy and it makes me happy,” Baldwin said. 

Pets in college can also play a large part in any student’s support system when navigating academic or personal stress. Rhodelle Beatrice, a fourth-year studying communication, said she considers her dog to be an essential part of her support system. 

“He’s probably seen me at my best and he’s also seen me at worst, but he’s always there, and knowing that he’s there makes me feel better,” Beatrice said. 

Whether they’re attracted to puppy-petting events because they’re an animal lover or because they’re seeking an entertaining break from routine, students commonly cite stress relief as a significant benefit of attending these events.

“The best thing you can do for a human is to give them a dog… for multiple reasons but definitely for stress relief,” Beatrice said. 

The benefits dogs, cats and all other pets provide show how important it is that NC State holds animal-centered events for clubs, Greek life and the general student body. However, many students have said there is a lack of communication concerning when and where these kinds of events take place. Many students, including Baldwin and Beatrice, have never seen advertising for such events nor ran into one while walking through campus. 

“If they were advertised a little bit more publicly, like if I saw a poster around campus or advertising on Instagram, maybe an email, that would bring a lot of attention to the events, but also they should be more frequent,” Baldwin said. 

Jicha said that student organizations like the animal science club or the pre-vet club set up fundraisers for local shelters where students can play with the animals and adopt them if they are able to. 

“I think people seeing pets on campus, they just feel like things are getting a little bit more normal…I wish the university would sponsor events every month, if there’s a way to do it, where students bring a pet to campus, as long as you can do it responsibly,” Jicha said. 

To keep up-to-date on the latest events featuring our furry friends, check out the NC State events calendar.