Alison Teter measures impact of therapy dogs on stress

2017 Apr 17

Alison Teter, of West Chester, PA, a student at Delaware Valley University, worked with the help of Roxy Reading Therapy Dogs on a student research project measuring the physical and cognitive effects of stress relief from interacting with therapy dogs. Teter worked with another DelVal student on the project.

The full group included: Alexa Pell and Alison Teter. The two students performed the data collection between the weeks of March 20 and March 31.

"Working with Roxy Reading has been a great experience," said Pell. "The students love interacting with the dogs and it has been such a fun, uplifting experience for everyone involved."

"Working on this research project has been one of the most stressful, but rewarding experiences I have had in college so far," said Teter. "I plan to specialize in Animal-Assisted Therapy, so this has been surreal to finally be able to do the research and work on the topic."

Founded in 1896, Delaware Valley University provides 100 percent of students with real-world experience before graduation. The University currently enrolls approximately 1,900 undergraduate and 400 graduate students. Home to the Experience360 Program, DelVal is known for its combination of classroom learning and relevant career experience. Students learn in a close-knit community where professors know them by name. Learn more at: delval.edu.