Every other Wednesday, PAWS Together brings adorable canines to visit and help students relieve their stress.
Winthrop University is no stranger to pets, and every so often a familiar cast of dogs visit the DiGiorgio Student Center.
These dogs are with PAWS Together, a volunteer organization that brings certified therapy dogs to DIGS every other Wednesday from 11 a.m. – noon.
The Johnsonian got the opportunity to speak with them last Wednesday, hoping to showcase their cause and expose the canines to more students.
“We’re called PAWS Together, and the PAWS stands for ‘Partnering Animals with Students.’ Unless we’re the library and then it’s ‘Partnering Animals with Stories,’ and when we’re visiting assisted living facilities it’s ‘Partnering Animals with Seniors,’” said Maxine German, the unofficial leader of PAWS Together.
“We’re kind of versatile,” she said.
German got her start with the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, the nationwide organization that PAWS Together works under. She became a “tester” for the alliance, and helps register therapy dogs in the local area, she explained.
PAWS Together is composed of these local dogs, and they’ve been visiting Winthrop for 10 years.
“Therapy dogs are certified for therapy work, and we go to universities, nursing homes, hospitals, the airport sometimes, any place that people might need a little bit of a stress relief,” said Pat Ferrel, a member of PAWS Together.
Ferrel hopes that people “can come and pet the dogs, love on them, just get a break from whatever is going on in their life,” she added.
Aside from being cute as can be, there’s science behind the dogs as well, German explained.
“It’s a proven fact that petting a dog will lower your blood pressure, and you can feel—I can feel—the relief when I pet my dog, and it just relaxes you like that.”
The students can feel it too.
“It’s a very good way to relax. It de-stresses me a lot,” said Amy Morgan, a senior at Winthrop.
“It’s great when they love you so much they just sit on you when you come up, or they just get really excited to see you. It’s amazing,” Morgan added.
PAWS Together loves any opportunity to visit Winthrop, but they especially enjoy exam week, said German.
“We really enjoy coming during exam week and on study day. That’s pretty special. It really lifts the spirits and just makes things a little less tense so we enjoy coming here then too.”
PAWS Together is also inclusive, allowing young volunteers to gain experience with dog handling. Annagrace Marshal, a junior dog handler, accompanied her mom Ruthanna Marshal last visit.
“It’s a lot of fun to get to see college students that still enjoy to see dogs, and I enjoy getting to see college life and experience that,” said Annagrace Marshal.
At the end of the day, PAWS Together is about the smiles, said German.
“Oh, the smiles, the happy smiles, and to see our dogs’ excitement with all the people who love them and pay attention to them. The smiles do it for me.”
Maxine German and Sparky
Pat Ferrel and Caia
Ruthanna Marshal, Annagrace Marshal, and Riley
