The Therapy Dog Program gives students a chance to step away from their usual routine and spend time with certified therapy dogs and the dogs’ handlers.
Studies have shown that petting or spending time with a friendly dog helps lower blood pressure, reduce overall pain and ease feelings of loneliness, anxiety and depression.
How are you? A break from the pressure
The program, offered through uOttawa’s Health Promotion (Student Wellness) team in partnership with local therapy dog organizations, including St. John Ambulance and Canadian Therapy Dogs Support Services, welcomes undergraduate and graduate students looking for a moment to unwind, take their minds off the pressures of university life or difficult feelings, or simply spend some time with a dog and connect with other uOttawa students.
The Health Promotion team at uOttawa manages the program across two locations, including the UCU and 90U wellness lounges, providing weekly opportunities for students to interact with therapy dogs. Dog therapy is one of many wellness supports available to students. Last year, 663 students attended dog therapy sessions at the UCU Wellness Lounge.
“All students are free to spend time with the therapy dogs. The program can be especially helpful for those feeling homesick or lonely, those experiencing depression or anxiety, and for students feeling overwhelmed with the pressures of University life. It’s a safe, inclusive space for students to recharge and interact with the therapy dogs while also connecting with their peers” says Rachel MacLean, supervisor, health promotion. “It’s a less formal approach to wellness that complements the other health and wellness services offered by Student Wellness. Students love it.”
Anne Skarzenski, a St. John’s Ambulance therapy dog team volunteer who recently attended a session with Zippo points to research on the physiological effects associated with spending time around calm animals, including changes related to stress and social bonding.
At St. John’s Ambulance, volunteers train and use their own dogs and are then evaluated as a team by St. John Ambulance.
Studies have found that students value not only their interactions with the dogs, but also the conversations and connections that can happen with handlers, volunteers and other students during the visits.
“I Left Calmer, Happier, and Connected”: What College Students Report as Meaningful in an On-Campus Drop-In Dog Therapy Program (Journal of College Student Mental Health, July 2026), found that students’ connections with the dogs and conversations with other students shifted their mood. Dog therapy was also found to deliver low-cost, low-barrier, low-stigmatizing support for well-being. Petting away pre-exam stress: The effect of therapy dog sessions on student well-being (Stress & Health, August 2018) showed strong immediate benefits. Students had significantly lower stress and higher happiness and energy levels.
A Western Sydney University study of dogs as a therapeutic medium looking at 10 university campuses found dog therapy distracted students from stressful thoughts, fostered social connections and helped build trust.
A break from the usual
Students don’t necessarily walk into the Wellness Lounge thinking about research, cortisol or the science behind human-animal interaction, though.
Sometimes, they just want a break.
For Grace N’guessan, a third-year health sciences student, curiosity brought her to the program.
What she found was a chance to step away from her normal routine.
“It’s a little bit of cuteness before class,” she says.
Fourth-year health sciences student Isabelle Edet first heard about the sessions through a friend. For her, part of the appeal was simply getting away from the constant rhythm of studying and scheduled university life.
“It was really fun to just be there, have something different,” she says.
Meet Zippo
Zippo, a four-year-old lagotto Romagnolo with a snazzy white and brown coat, lives with Skarzenski on a farm and loves to chase mice and snack on fallen apples.
"Making people smile is Zippo’s superpower,” says Skarzenski. “I remember when he was a puppy. He had this white teddy bear he used to carry everywhere and took care to keep it clean. He used to sit in the middle of the room, quietly waiting for someone to give him a nice pat. That’s when I realized he would be perfect as a therapy dog.”
Emma Smith Johnston, now in her first year of law school in the Canadian law program, after completing her undergraduate degree in political science at uOttawa, has attended twice.
“The owner is very friendly and knowledgeable, and Zippo is such a lovely dog,” she says. “I’m very grateful that the University offers initiatives like this.”
“Those 15 minutes usually end up being one of the best parts of my day,” she says. “I only wish the sessions were a little longer, because they go by so quickly!”
What’s the difference between a therapy dog and a service dog?
A therapy dog may be wearing a vest and working alongside a handler, but that does not make it a service dog.It is a distinction Skarzenski says is important to understand.
“A service dog is trained to help you with specific difficulties,” says Skarzenski. These dogs are trained to perform tasks a particular individual needs, from guiding someone with a visual impairment to helping someone navigate crowded environments.
Therapy dogs have a different role. “A therapy dog is trained to not do things,” Skarzenski explains.
That means being able to remain calm in situations that might normally excite or distract a dog. Therapy dogs should be comfortable meeting unfamiliar people and navigating crowds, loud noises and busy environments without becoming reactive.
Unlike service dogs, therapy dogs are chosen for their ability to interact with people during controlled visits.
At the UCU Wellness Lounge, students can register for sessions in Room 205. During the fall 2026 term, sessions are offered from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursdays until December 10.
Learn more about the Therapy Dog Program and meet the dogs: Crush, Louis, Praline, Ripley, Gobibear, and Fergus and Sam. You can also register for a therapy dog session.