A Commentary about Lessons Learned: Transitioning a Therapy Dog Program Online during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

ABSTRACT: In 2015, the University of Saskatchewan PAWS Your Stress Therapy Dog program partnered with St. John Ambulance for therapy dog teams to visit our campus and offer attendees love, comfort and support. We recognized at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic that students, staff and faculty may require mental health support, particularly with the challenges of isolation and loneliness. In response, our team transitioned from an in-person to a novel online format at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. We designed online content for participants to (1) connect with therapy dogs and experience feelings of love, comfort and support as occurred in in-person programming, and (2) learn about pandemic-specific, evidence-informed mental health knowledge. Our unique approach highlighted what dogs can teach

SUBMITTER: Dell C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8004773 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature