Ard Gentile 4 | AAT provides ample positive outcomes for many people. (llege students at the | 5 qr University of Ottawa, in Canada, reap the benefits of dog therapy during exam time. The schoo! I j oy cS a organizes visits for students from a professor, Audrey Giles, and her dog, Tundra. “Giles says 1e). Giles, a Human Kinetics 0 y professor, exclaims how “Just petting a dog will decrease your blood pressure and relieve Ad anxiety” (DogTime). A recent study through the Human Animal Bond Research Initiative ind states Foundation also attests to this findingthat the decline of stress and anxiety from human-animal about 20 students showed up” for the first visit with Tundra and “nearly 60 students signed up to if ; ‘meet her during her second session two weeks later”. interaction could transpire from “activating the hormone oxytocin” (Aschwanden). Oxytocin, also —— Sf known as the cuddle hormone, releases when people bond socially and psychically. Due to the ‘ alle wae beneficial aspects of animélldesisled therapy Visits college students can tina ther stress and anxiety. i Se dare ty Sv G2 ‘Studies from the American Heart Association with heart failure patients showed that a 12- minute visit “helped heart and lung function by lowering pressures, diminishing release of Show and 6a ‘ harmful hormones and decreasing anxiety” (Gavelinse- Steer), For the experiment they compared 0 the effects of a human visit, a dog/ human team viggand i a ah They gauged the “changes in cardiac function, neuroendocrine (stress hormone) activation and psychological changes in mood” (Gant Seen. ‘The data showed “anxiety scores dropped 24 percent for participants who received a vist from the yolunteer-dog team” and “levels of the stress hormone epinephrine YIN dropped...17 percent” (Gawlinski, Steer), Kathie M. aa nurse at UCLA Health states}. how “even a short-term exposure to dogs has beneficial physiological and psychosocial effects on patients who want it” (Cole). A different study was wel on kids with autism and how ) Gndy | / 7 OWS S = / /1\ \d