DelVal student research project measures impact of therapy dogs

Two Delaware Valley University students worked with the help of Roxy Reading Therapy Dogs on a student research project measuring the physical and cognitive effects of stress relief from interacting with therapy dogs. The two performed the data collection between the weeks of March 20 and March 31.

The students included Alexa Pell '17, a small animal science major and counseling psychology minor and Alison Teter '18, a dual major who is studying counseling psychology and small animal science.  

"Working with Roxy Reading has been a great experience," said Pell. "The students love interacting with the dogs and it has been such a fun, uplifting experience for everyone involved."

"Working on this research project has been one of the most stressful, but rewarding experiences I have had in college so far," said Teter. "I plan to specialize in Animal-Assisted Therapy, so this has been surreal to finally be able to do the research and work on the topic."

The University provides 100 percent of students with real-world experience before graduation. Home to the Experience360 Program, DelVal is known for its combination of classroom learning and relevant career experience.