Therapy dogs visit Douglas College
for training and comfort

> Volunteers donate their time to help students and puppies with their work

Greg Waldock
Staff Writer

O; April 10, therapy dogs visited
the Douglas College New
Westminster campus to spend time
with students. The dogs were with the
Pacific Animal Therapy Society (PATS),
part of Assistance Dogs International,
which trains pets to assist people

with any disability or need apart from
blindness. Animal therapy has been
growing in colleges and universities
worldwide, and Douglas College and
other BC institutions will often bring
them in during midterms and finals to
help students relieve stress with head

 

scratches and a comforting dog presence.

Attending events like this is a
common way for new puppies to get
comfortable around large, loud crowds
by meeting so many new people. As
such, almost all the dogs present on
April 10 were around one year old,
and still getting used to the job. They
can often get skittish or tired and will
need a solid day of recovery time after
a therapy event. For both the dogs
and their owners, this is a real and
serious job. Though all puppies enjoy
belly rubs and attention, the constant

socializing can easily get exhausting,
and the dogs require strict training

to keep themselves controlled. This
training is also why a service dog
walking with a person should never be
disturbed without express permission
of their owner, as it can easily confuse
the dog about what counts as play
time and what counts as work time.

The dogs at the event were pets
owned by volunteers who donated their
time to help both the students and
the puppies. While some volunteers
raise service dogs for a living, others
are ordinary pet owners who wanted
to help out. PATS and Assistance Dogs
International are built to accommodate
and provide training for both. There
are also naming conventions for each
litter. Some of the dogs at the event were
named after dance styles or blues artists.

After training is finished, most dogs
will be able to fetch food or water from a

fridge, pick up dropped items, assist with

dressing and household activities, and
provide stable companionship for their
human. Therapy events like the one at
Douglas are a huge help for the puppies
to learn how to control their impulses
to help humans throughout their day,

whether as a specific disability assistance

animal or just as a friendly pet.

New transfer agreement for

Youth Justice Diploma

> Douglas College and Royal Roads University partner up

Colten Kamlade
Staff Reporter

 

Ro Roads University has just
partnered with Douglas College
to enable students to transfer

their Youth Justice Diploma to

the Victoria-based school.

The agreement will allow Douglas
College students to transfer into third-
year Bachelor of Arts in Justice Studies.
This new agreement follows in the wake
of many others, with previous transfer
agreements including BA in Professional
Communication, BA in International

Hotel Management, BS in Environmental

Management and Science, and a
BA in Interdisciplinary Studies.

According to the Douglas College
webpage, the majority of the Justice
Studies program is offered online, with
short on-campus residencies mixed in.

Karla Gronsdahl, dean of child,
family, and community studies
at Douglas College, said in an
interview with the Other Press that
this agreement is rather unique.

“The RRU degree is a very
appealing option because it allows
students to remain in their own
communities and even work while
finishing their credential. Anytime
we can help students continue

 

their education and open more
doors to meaningful employment,
we have succeeded,” she said.

According to the Royal Roads
University webpage, the school has
a long and engaging history.

“Located in one of Canada’s most
beautiful National Historic Sites, Royal
Roads University has a long history of
excellence. In 2015, we celebrated 75
years of leadership and learning—55
years as a military college and 20

years as a public applied research
university,” the webpage stated.

The school also totes its
online learning model, which it
calls effective and unique.

“Our online learning model allows
you to continue working while you
complete your degree. The program
begins with a short, on-campus
residency that allows you to meet the
rest of the learners in your cohort,
followed by distance courses that

 

deliver the theoretical and information-
based material,” the webpage stated.

According to the Douglas
College webpage, Youth Justice
Instructor Meaghan Dougherty
expressed that getting a BA can
help students in the long run.

“More of our students are choosing
to continue on with a bachelor’s degree.
Having another option for students
to complete their BA opens up a lot of
opportunities,” she said on the website.

Photo by Greg Waldock

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