Do Good to De-Stress

I've heard that people who have dogs suffer from less stress than those without one. Well, this week has been the most stressful week I have had in a very long time. Since I do not have a dog at my apartment, I decided to do volunteer work at the local animal rescue shelter. Today I spent two hours hanging around with the sweetest pups. I took them all out for a walk, one at a time of course, and enjoyed their carefree nature. Each pup clearly had their own personality. There is a lovely trail in the back of the shelter that runs parallel to a river. Its very peaceful and the perfect de-stresser for my hectic week. I know the pups appreciated the attention, and the workers at the shelter always appreciate the extra help. After such an awful week of research papers, a failed career fair, and frustrating work issues, I already feel better just from two hours with those pups. I highly recommend doggy-therapy to anyone who is suffering from stress. Meet some of the delightful little darlings:

Layla, an 8 week old female austrailian sheperd mix. She is a sweet little ball of fluff with penchant for chomping on anything that moves. She also happens to think she is a great dane.

Iris, a 12 week old female Collie mix. Such a little spit fire! And with beautiful markings too! Iris is jumpy little girl who loves exploring nature.

Peanut is a beagle mix about 5 months old. Her sister, Bagel, was adopted and now poor Peanut is left alone at the shelter. She is very cuddly, even on the walk we went on she would snuggle up to me every time I bent down to her.

The one that made the biggest impression on me is named Sugar. For some reason she is not listed on the shelter's website, she might be too new. Sugar is an older pup, probably between 2 and 4 years old. She looks a bit like a Collie mix of some kind. At first when we went for a walk she was bouncy and excited. She walked on the lease really well. The second time I took her out she acted like a perfect lady and was completelt calm.

If you are in the market for a pup, I highly recommend any of the sweet babies found at ARF. They all have great personalities and could use a forever home. Check out the website for a listing of the rest of the adoptables at ARF.