It is all about puppy love Friday afternoons at UBC Okanagan when some special pooches arrive.

含羞草研究社淚t is like the greatest thing in the world,含羞草研究社� said one smiling student as he stroked one of 17 therapy dogs hanging out on campus for the weekly B.A.R.K. drop-in labs.

含羞草研究社淏.A.R.K. Stands for Building Academic Retention through K9s and it a program here on campus to support the social and emotional well being of students, primarily around stress reduction and home sickness,含羞草研究社� explained B.A.R.K. director Dr. John-Tyler Binfet.

含羞草研究社淭he dogs do work people can含羞草研究社檛. You can含羞草研究社檛 replace dogs with people and get the same affective emotional reaction, so our job is to just create a sense of community in the lab for people where they feel cared about, and the dogs help us do this.含羞草研究社�

For Binfet, this whole program is almost paradoxical as he has a fear of dogs, but personally witnessed the soothing impact they could have once he connected with his own rescue pooch.

含羞草研究社淚 would go across campus to get coffee and I would be besieged by students who would barely look at me and start interacting with the dog. Eventually, they would look up with these tear-filled eyes and they含羞草研究社檇 say 含羞草研究社榊ou know as much as I miss my parents, I miss my dog more含羞草研究社� and I thought, OK, there is a need here to develop a program to provide access to therapy dogs.含羞草研究社�

Several dozen students joined in the most recent therapy dog lab on Friday with big smiles on their face.

含羞草研究社淚 love it so much 含羞草研究社� why have I not come before?含羞草研究社� said one student.

含羞草研究社淚t really helps,含羞草研究社� said another.

含羞草研究社淚t is a really nice stress relief,含羞草研究社� said one more. 含羞草研究社淚t is relaxing.含羞草研究社�

B.A.R.K. now boasts 70 volunteers, 45 therapy dogs and is used by 30 per cent of the student population.

含羞草研究社淚t is a way I can give back in helping students get that puppy love again,含羞草研究社� said B.A.R.K. dog handler Heidi Maddess. 含羞草研究社淪he (her pup) is doing awesome, she loves it. She feels so special when she puts on her vest and comes to work.含羞草研究社�

A sentiment shared by another dog handler.

含羞草研究社淵ou can just see that Oscar absolutely loves it,含羞草研究社� said B.A.R.K. Dog handler Michael Bandyo. 含羞草研究社淎s soon as he puts the vest on, he takes it as a job. The kids come and they pet him and they call him by name and I think he is a bit of a celebrity on campus now!含羞草研究社�

While student welfare is key for the program, Binfet ensures the dogs are enjoying themselves as well.

含羞草研究社淚 look at dog stress. I want to ensure it is a good experience for the dogs, that their welfare is at the forefront too,含羞草研究社� said Binfet. 含羞草研究社淲e actually sent a dog home tonight who wasn含羞草研究社檛 settling. My job is to ensure everyone is OK, including the student clients, the dog handlers and the dogs themselves.含羞草研究社�

Binfet said he is also working to break the image that only golden retrievers can be therapy dogs as he works with a local rescue to provide dogs in all shapes, colours and sizes.

In fact, more than 60 per cent of the therapy dogs in the program are from Dog Rescue.

含羞草研究社淧ure bred golden retrievers certainty can be great therapy dogs, but the mutt off the street or off a reserve or a second-hand dog can do wonderful therapeutic work,含羞草研究社� said Binfet.

含羞草研究社淭he people will come to the lab and they will go to the dog that reminds them the most of their childhood dog and that is tough to predict. So, we have a lot of diversity.

含羞草研究社淚t is all about adopt don含羞草研究社檛 shop.含羞草研究社�

To learn more about the BARK program head to