If you head down the stairs near the east end of the hearth between CVM’s Main Building and the Terry Center, you’ll find a quiet, relaxing space that has had a special upgrade in recent weeks. The patio outside the William Rand Kenan, Jr. Library of Veterinary Medicine (just to your left as you reach the bottom of the stairs) now features amenities for the CVM community and their pets, part of an initiative called the PAW Patio, developed by the library staff. I recently got a chance to ask Peggy Gross, Director of the CVM Library, some questions about the new space.
- Can you tell us, what is the PAW On the Patio? How did you come up with the idea?
PAW stands for Pets are Welcome! Ashton Reddish, our University Library Technician, thought of the acronym. The idea to bring more dogs to the patio was percolating ever since the first month I began as director a little over two years ago. I noticed how happy CVM students were when they had their dogs out there. About the same time, I adopted a dog after learning I could board her while I was working.
I started bringing her to the library patio now and then while I worked on my laptop and immediately noticed how much happier and calmer I felt while she napped or people-watched next to me. I realized first-hand that the patio is a conducive place to buckle down and get some work done with my dog. So, the idea to foster that human-animal bond on the patio evolved organically and naturally.
- Who can use the PAW Patio? If someone were to want to use it, is there anything they should know beforehand?
Anyone at CVM can bring their dog to the patio to hang out. The idea was that since they’re probably boarding over at the general practice kennel, the pup would already be on campus. Library staff set the pet amenities out in the early morning and pull them in around 4-5.
I’d suggest people bring their own water bowl. We’re tinkering with disposable bowl options to make it as hassle-free as possible. We’ve tried to make it very easy to simply pop over with your pup whenever you have a little break. We provide cold water for pets and people, mesh dog beds,
cooling mats, short “pet parking” leashes to tie around the tables, pressure-activated cooling mats, and single-source protein treats (made in the USA). In the next week or so, we’ll have two outdoor bean bags for the human companions. All of it is self-serve, so everyone should feel free to borrow the amenities. So, if you’re looking for something listed above that you don’t see immediately on the patio, hook your dog leash to the patio table base and grab a bean bag from right inside, for example. Also, please let us know if there is something else you wish we had to make the patio a true “study with your buddy” spot. We’re open to feedback.
- From our conversations, I know you are passionate about supporting wellbeing in the CVM community! In what ways do you see PAW On the Patio benefitting wellbeing at the CVM over time?
Social Support theory, one of three Human-Animal Bond theories, underpins the Pets are Welcome (PAW) on the Patio at the William Rand Kenan, Jr. Library of Veterinary Medicine. According to the research, the stress of caring for a dog while in veterinary school negatively affects students’ studies and well-being.1
Recent research published by our own CVM faculty revealed that approximately 74% of veterinary students report that care for their dog affects their school or study schedule at least weekly, and 41% of students report that care for their dog affects them daily.2 The schedule here is extremely demanding, and it keeps us apart from our dogs for longer hours than we’d like. Therefore, time with a companion animal while studying at the library patio can go a long way toward reducing our stress about them. Simultaneously, it fosters that human-animal bond the CVM community holds sacred. As a library director, if I can find simple ways like this to help lower the stress in people’s days, cortisol levels can drop …. and suddenly life just seems to feel a little easier. I think that’s a possible path to wellbeing, and it sits right outside the library door.
References:
- Drake, A. A., Hafen, M., Jr., & Rush, B. R. (2017). A Decade of Counseling Services in One College of Veterinary Medicine: Veterinary Medical Students’ Psychological Distress and Help-Seeking Trends. J Vet Med Educ, 44(1), 157-165. doi:10.3138/jvme.0216-045R
- Kogan, L. R., Schoenfeld-Tacher, R., Hellyer, P., & Rishniw, M. (2019). Veterinary Student Stress, the Benefit of Canine Pets, and Potential Institutional Support of Dog Ownership. J Vet Med Educ, 46(4), 438-448. doi:10.3138/jvme.1017-148r