Barks at the Parks: Emotional support dogs help Iowa State students through finals

Iowa State University students have turned to a pet-friendly annual event this week to ease the stress of finals preparation.

Barks at Parks is an event at the Iowa State University Library that takes place in the fall and spring semesters.

From Monday, April 29, to Friday, May 3, students can take a break from studying by spending time with emotional support dogs.

The event, which turned 10 this year, connects Iowa State students with licensed AKC Good Canine Citizens or trained therapy dogs the week before finals, or "prep week."

Hilary Seo, dean of the University Library, said Barks at Parks helps students cope with the stress of end-of-semester deadlines and exams.

"We're very focused on not only students' success in class, but also concerned about their mental health," Seo said. "This event is part of (how we help them). It's a nice break for them."

This semester, the Cyclone Country Kennel Club, The American Rescue League of Iowa TheraPets, the Des Moines Obedience Training Club, and local volunteers with licensed canines provided about 35 dogs.

Library staff helped students unwind with additional activities like origami, coloring and puzzles, and the university's Student Wellness department provided snacks.

Barks at Parks helps hundreds of students each year

Seo estimated that more than 20,000 students have participated in the Barks at Parks program, with an average of 225 students attending each day throughout prep week.

The dean appreciates the library's willingness to keep the event going for a decade.

"There were a lot of doubts that this was even needed, that students would even bother to spend time coming to see the dogs," Seo said. "But (Barks at Parks) is just one of those stress relievers for them."

Seo has seen firsthand how dogs can even have a positive impact on apprehensive students.

"Some students are afraid of dogs, and they kind of stand on the outside - they didn't really grow up with pets or they had an encounter with a large dog at some point in their life," Seo said. "I just encourage them to sit down, these are really well-behaved dogs. They take me up on it and they have good experiences. That's not something we expected."

Returning volunteers see impact of annual event

Rhonda Crane was one of 30 owners who brought dogs to the University Library this semester. She shared her Havanese dogs, Champ and Forty, with students. The duo are often used at Iowa Methodist Hospital Des Moines.

With 31 years of pet therapy under her belt, Crane has volunteered at every Barks at Parks event.

"There are a lot of kids who return year after year because they know our dogs," Crane said. "I think it's exciting for them to see the dogs; as they've gone on in their time at Iowa State, they come back and call our dogs by name."

Elisabeth and Steven Lonergan are frequent volunteers with their boxer Ted. They are also Iowa State professors of animal science. Elisabeth Lonergan said research shows that being around a calm, friendly animal can have a calming effect.

"I think (this event) is a really important thing to do for the students, because it's a nice stress reliever, Elisabeth Lonergan said. "I see firsthand in my job how students can really relax when they're around animals, especially students that have an animal at home."

Crane said Barks at the Parks is a welcome distraction for students, particularly those with pets or those who plan to become pet owners.

"It can be very calming; a lot of times, it brings about memories with their own pets," Crane said. "These kids, a majority of them don't have pets at school, so they mess their own dogs. Some of them ask a lot of questions about the dogs because they're anxious to have pets in the future."

Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com.