Event Review - “Paws for a Break – Therapy Dog Visits” 🐾✨
As exam season approaches, it’s completely normal to feel some stress from busy study schedules and looming deadlines. To help everyone take a breather and recharge, the Residential Education Team of the Student Affairs Office (SAO) recently hosted “Paws for a Break – Therapy Dog Visits” at the PolyU Hung Hom and Homantin Halls on 9-10 April 2026, followed by the Limitless Love and Care Programme: Therapy Dog Visits at the Caring Hub on 13 and 16 April 2026.
This Animal-Assisted Intervention (AAI) event was all about spreading comfort and wellness across our student community right when it’s needed most. The stars of the day were two furry friends🦮—Ollie, a Labrador Retriever, is a lovely, black, outgoing, energetic, and cheerful boy, and Tina, a Golden Retriever—a gentle giant with blond, silky hair. She is always quiet and enjoys being hugged and rubbed😊. With these certified therapy dogs visiting right at the doorstep, around 360 students got to pause, relax, and soak in some tail-wagging positivity. Whether it was a playful paw, a gentle cuddle, or a quiet moment spent petting and smiling, everyone felt the soothing power of the human–animal connection—a wonderful emotional refresh during exam stress.😊❤️
To make things even more engaging, students joined a fun “Signals”
matching game🧩, where they
paired dog body language with human emotions. It was a great way to practice
noticing and managing feelings—something that definitely comes in handy during
high-pressure times! Plus, with light refreshments🍪and little gifts on hand🎁, the whole experience was meaningful and
full of laughter.
We’re so glad to see how this event helped bring smiles and warmth to students, and we can’t wait to share more SAO wellness activities with you soon.
