Missing your pets from home? Need a little animal-therapy? Just want to spend some time with some doggos? After having to take a hiatus during 2020 (and a bit beyond), Wags for Wellness is back!

For those of you who aren’t familiar, Wags for Wellness is a program out of the Health Center which allows students to spend some quality time with volunteer therapy goodboys. We’ve asked Sarah Wilson and Olivia Mays, from the Health Promotion & Wellness Services Unit at the University Health Center, to review the old interview and add any new information. If you’d like to check out the old article, you can find it in An Interview About Pupperdoggos from Fall 2019 – but I recommend just reading on for the most current info!

TTC: Sarah and Olivia, thanks for interviewing with us! I know we talked about this just a couple short years ago, but let’s recap things for our newcomers. In general, what is Wags for Wellness? How does it support Terp wellness?

• SW: Wags for Wellness is a program of the University Health Center featuring volunteer therapy dogs and their human handlers. All of the volunteers we work with are certified through People. Animals. Love. (PAL) to provide love, connection, companionship, and stress relief.

 

• OM: Visits are free and open to all University of Maryland students and many find them to not only be an outlet for supporting their emotional wellbeing, but also a new way to build social supports with fellow students. Not to mention, it is also a great way to connect with other loving animals for those who may be missing their childhood or family pets.

TTC: And what is one thing you want students to know about Wags for Wellness?

• SW: Our regular volunteer therapy dogs and their humans commit to attending the same sessions each month. This really adds a special element to Wags for Wellness. That means, for example, if you are able to attend our Friday visits at McKeldin Library, you can typically expect to see the same therapy dogs. Of course there can be exceptions, and sometimes we have new volunteer pups joining us as their schedule allows, but the consistency of our schedule is especially powerful for those who have started forming a bond with a particular dog. There’s something really comforting about knowing your four-legged friend will be there waiting for you at every visit.

TTC: I love the possibility of connecting with the same dog every time – also, new volunteer pups sound just too perfect. That said, it has been a really difficult year. Could you both share a little about how you’ve been maintaining your own mental health, balance, and comprehensive wellbeing?

• OM: Recently, I have been using nature to nurture my mental health and wellness. Activities like hiking and kayaking have helped me work through some strong emotions and connect to the natural world. Even just sitting outside to take in the sights and sounds around me has been incredibly healing. On top of that, after working from home for the last year and half, I have grown to love getting cuddles from my cats and dog when I’m feeling stressed. Now that I’m back to working in the office, I’ve been missing those special cuddles. I love the fact that the Wags for Wellness program gives students a chance to experience those special cuddles with our furry friends!

 

• SW: This is such a great question! My mental health and wellness journey is always changing. Truly! And this is OK. For me, I’ve noticed as I grow and evolve my needs change, which means adapting my self-care strategies. I’m currently supporting my mental health and wellness through movement. Sometimes this is yoga, sometimes it is cycling, and sometimes it is barre or pilates. Movement helps me channel my emotions and decompress. I also would be remiss not to mention my personal love for Wags for Wellness. I am constantly amazed by the power of an animal-human bond. Without fail, if I’ve had a hard or stressful week, those pups make a substantial difference in my mood. I always prioritize taking a moment to myself to sit with them and savor a few pets.

TTC: How can students access the pups at Wags for Wellness?

• SW: You can find monthly Wags for Wellness sessions at multiple campus locations. You can keep up with our visits on the Health Center social media channels @UMDHealthCenter, on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. We’ll also have our schedule on our Stress Management website. We can’t wait to see you at our therapy dog visits later this semester!

TTC: Thank you both so much for your time, both in this interview and with all you do for students – like bringing in these pups! Before we go, is there anything else you think students should know?

• OM: New this year, we’ll be requiring use of a sign-up system for all of our Wags for Wellness events. Students will sign-up using an online platform to guarantee quality time with the pups and avoid any crowding. To learn more about the sign up process and reserve your time with a pup, visit the Stress Management website for more information.

 

• SW: I also want to mention that Wags for Wellness couldn’t happen without our tremendous community partner, People. Animals. Love. (PAL, for short). All of our therapy pups and their human handlers are volunteers through this amazing DC-based non-profit. PAL “leverages the power of the human-animal bond” and has been such a supporter of the University of Maryland’s ever-growing Wags for Wellness program.