In our current cultural climate, pets take up a huge portion of our lives. According to research by the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI), 98% of pet owners consider their pet to be an integral member of their family. With this statistic in mind, it’s no surprise that interacting with animals has a profound impact on our mental health. Here’s the facts:
- Human-animal interactions can benefit:
- mood
- mental health
- social behavior¹
- Human-animal interactions can help reduce:
- fear and anxiety
- costisol, heart rate, and blood pressure
- cardiovascular disease¹
- Pet ownership can provide a sense of purpose, security and routine for people with long-term mental health struggles.²
- Companion animals have been found to increase social interaction and emotional well-being, in addition to reducing the blood pressure, heart rates, and stress levels in healthcare settings.³
- Pet ownership amongst street-involved youth has been found to be negatively associated with depression (meaning depression is less common in pet owners).⁴
- Pet ownership has been shown to encourage community-mindedness and social interaction, and decrease loneliness and isolation.⁵
When I first moved away from my home town to attend UVic, one of the hardest transitions for me to make was no longer having my family pets around. Not having a furry friend to take for a walk, remember to feed, or cuddle when I was having a rough time impacted me far more than I’d realized it would.
Despite having a difficult time not living with pets, I was acutely aware that adopting an animal wasn’t an option at the start of my undergrad degree. Though I would’ve loved to have a full-time furry friend, I knew my irregular, busy, erratic schedule wouldn’t allow me to give a pet the loving, caring life that it deserved. The idea of finding pet-friendly housing in a city that was already in the midst of a housing crisis was beyond daunting. And on a student budget, the idea of spending my dwindling bank account balance on unforeseen vet bills if my hypothetical pet were to need medical attention was enough to make me feel a little ill myself.
Luckily, there were other options!
Here’s some options for some low-commitment, student budget/schedule-friendly ways of connecting with animals right here in Victoria, brought to you with the very serious accompaniment of various animals wearing sunglasses.
ON-CAMPUS OPTIONS
Limited time? Too tied up in coursework to leave campus? No problem! Lucky for you, there’s options to pet some furry friends within a five-minute walk from the library!
Puppy Playtime @ The SUB
Throughout the academic year, the University of Victoria Student’s Society (UVSS) puts on Puppy Playtime events, where you can hang out with trained therapy dogs at the Student Union Building!
For upcoming Puppy Playtime dates, keep an eye out the UVSS Facebook page or web calendar, where they advertise these events.
Pet Café @ The Interfaith Chapel
Like Puppy Playtime, the Interfaith Chapel’s Pet Café is located on university grounds, which makes it a more accessible stop even on a busy school day.
At 2:30-4pm each Wednesday throughout the 2019 Fall semester, pet owners from Pacific Animal Therapy Society (PATS) will bring their animals to the Interfaith Chapel for some stress-relieving cuddles and love.
Keep your eye on their calendar for updates on this event, and other great events offered through the Interfaith Chapel.
OFF-CAMPUS OPTIONS
Looking to commune with some furry friends on a study break? Here’s some options for ways to connect with animals off-campus!
Visit Your Local Dog Park
Put on your walking shoes and go find some pups to pet (with their owners’ permission, of course)!
Not only does this low-commitment option give you the stress-reducing benefits of interacting with animals, but it also gets you out in nature and exercising – two things which have been proven to bolster mental health and well-being. Win-win!
There are an endless number of dog parks in Victoria… but with the risk of outing myself as the regular, dogless dog-park visitor that I am, here are a few of my favourites:
- University of Victoria Cedar Hill Corner Property is located just past Mystic Vale on Cedar Hill Cross Road. It’s walking distance from campus and in a beautiful location.
- Clover Point Park, located on scenic Dallas Road, is a bit of a further jaunt from campus… but the gorgeous ocean views are well worth it, and it’s within walking distance of the next option on the list!
Beacon Hill Children's Farm
Contrary to the name, Beacon Hill Children’s Farm isn’t just for kids (the human kind OR the goat kind)! This entry-by-donation petting zoo, which is located in beautiful Beacon Hill Park (just a short walk from Clover Point Park, and accessible from UVic on the #7 bus route), boasts an awesome array of animals.
Early autumn, when the weather’s still warm and the leaves are changing colour, is the perfect time to visit! Spend an afternoon hanging out with llamas, alpacas, pigs, a miniature pony, bunnies and guinea pigs, a wide variety of birds, and best of all, SO. MANY. BABY. GOATS.
Be warned – they will try their best to eat your shoelaces, hair, or anything else that might be mistaken for hay.
Walk Someone Else's Pet
This might be a no-brainer if you know someone with a dog… but even if you don’t know a dog owner in Victoria, this is an option.
Technology can be a great thing sometimes! THIS FOR THAT: A Victoria, BC Trade Group is a Facebook group started in early 2019, which involves trading goods and services without any exchange of money. And guess what? Many people in the group are looking to make trades for dog walking and pet sitting!
Put out a post, or respond to someone else’s, and you might be able to make a connection in the community. Not only that, but you might get a free meal or something cool in exchange, in addition to getting to hang out with someone’s pet!
MORE TIME ON YOUR HANDS?
If you have more time available, getting involved with an animal rescue organization through volunteering or fostering might be an option for you!
Volunteer at a Shelter
Donating a few hours of your week to an animal shelter is a great way to give back to the community AND get your animal fix, all at once.
- The Capital Regional District (CRD) Animal Shelter is always looking for in-shelter volunteers.
- The Greater Victoria Animal Crusaders (GVAC) needs Cat Cuddlers to visit, brush, and play with their adoptable cats!
- The Victoria BC SPCA is often looking for volunteers to work with their small animals, cats, and dogs.
Foster a Pet
If your landlord allows pets, fostering is a great option. It allows you to have an animal in your own home to care for and love, without the added stress of having to manage cost or long-term commitment.
Many fostering agencies, including Greater Victoria Animal Crusaders (GVAC) and the Victoria BC SPCA, will pay for the cost of vet services, food, and supplies, meaning this option is student budget friendly!
Additionally, most agencies’ applications give you the option of listing your fostering boundaries, such as length of time you’re able to foster, and the amount of care you’re able to provide (eg. whether or not you’re comfortable fostering a pet with special requirements or disabilities).
Over the past few years, I’ve fostered kittens and bunnies, walked others’ dogs, and pet-sat. MANY midterms-gone-wrong have been followed with trips to the dog park. As the research shows, spending time with and taking care of animals has helped me reduce stress, wind down, and establish routine. Throughout all this, I’ve been able to help animals in need and get my pet fix, without making the huge commitment of adopting a pet.
If you’ve benefitted from pets in a similar way, or have a great idea for connecting with animals around UVic, I’d love to hear your story in the comments below!
As always, thanks for reading!
– Cassidy
References
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3408111/
2. https://habricentral.org/resources/58595
3. https://sigmapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1547-5069.1997.tb00993.x
4. https://www.homelesshub.ca/resource/effects-pet-ownership-street-involved-youth-ontario
5. https://habricentral.org/resources/20539
The views expressed in this blog are my own, and do not necessarily reflect the policies or views of the University of Victoria. I monitor posts and comments to ensure all content complies with the University of Victoria Guidelines on Blogging.