All year long, NBC Bay Area and Telemundo 48 work to help Clear The Shelters — and on Wednesday the shelter visited our studios.
May is Mental Health Awareness month. On Wednesday, NBC Bay Area's studios had some puppy therapy thanks to Humane Society Silicon Valley.
Their staff brought nine puppies and husky mix, who will all soon be available for adoption, to hang out and help our team decompress.
Research has shown canine companions can help improve people’s moods, reduce blood pressure and lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
“Spending time with pets has definitely proven to reduce feelings of anxiety, stress and loneliness,” said Itza Daza, an animal care and enrichment supervisor at Humane Society Silicon Valley. “One of our volunteers actually wasn’t doing too well mentally. They were really down in the dumps, and kind of felt like they were at their wits end. But they started volunteering with us, working with shelter animals, and their mental health has greatly improved.”
Pet therapy is now being embraced by hospitals, nursing homes, prisoners and even schools.
In fact, NBCUniversal also has a service dog, Atlas, who is a VetDog being raised and trained at its New York studios at 30 Rockefeller Plaza
While adopting a pet can boost your mood, it is a big responsibility and not everyone is in a position to adopt.
“We have multiple opportunities available if you’re not able to commit to a full-time adoption,” Daza said.
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You can find more information on programs and volunteer opportunities here.
