Canine Connections story starts with making a new connection. When I moved to Nashville, I was alone. I knew nobody. While I am very into physical fitness and walked regularly around town, I still felt out of place. Walking around neighborhoods, I couldn’t help but notice all of the people walking a dog. I also began to notice the difference in social interactions with someone walking a dog that meets another person walking a dog, versus me, walking alone. The people with dogs already had something in common to stop and talk about. This is when my idea of Canine Connections sparked. I began to wonder how I could have a dog without purchasing one or making the long-term foster commitment to one as a college student.
I would occasionally dog-sit and I grew up with two dogs, so you could say my heart is full around animals. I know other people feel this affection towards animals. Some people have service animals for their mental health support now. Although, this made me wonder how someone like me could have that extra mental support of an animal, without making a long-term commitment to fostering or adopting one. Let’s say you are having an off day. Maybe you are stressed with school or work. Or maybe you, like me, recently moved to a new location and are looking to meet new people. Through this organization, you can request a dog for pickup at a local shelter in your area, for as long as you need, to relieve your stress or social anxiety. Canine Connections will strengthen your mental and social health while building on connections and creating new ones.
According to a survey by Banfield Pet Hospital, 63% of respondents claimed to be more
comfortable during social interactions if they were able to bring their pets. There was also a
94% of respondents that said their pet “impacted their social life.” These statistics highlight the
emotional and social effect pets have on us. We believe that even just a few hours with a furry friend will improve your mental and social health.
If you are a student like me, then you may be looking for volunteer opportunities to receive service credit for your school or club. Or maybe you are just very passionate about volunteering in your community. This service is a great option for increasing social connections, improving mental health, receiving credit obligations, and volunteering within your community. Canine Connections provides you a short-term commitment option, while still reaping some of the benefits of being a dog owner. As a student I remember looking for something like this offered through my university, but the only option was fully fostering a dog and at the minimum of a month! If you are a college kid living in a dorm room with a roommate, this is not do-able. Yet alone, spending the money and time on a dog that you haven’t fully committed to yet.
Canine Connections is a short-term fostering option that focuses on increasing your overall well-being. We partner with Mental Health Resource organizations to provide you an outlet with more mental health resources to explore. This partnership also helps us build research on the benefits we see and other areas we may need to improve on.
Why volunteer? Aside from the social and mental aspect, if you are passionate about giving back to your community then Canine Connections is for you. A small donation gives back to the local shelters we pair with so that they may better take care of the animals and hopefully send them to a new home. Or, you may end up being that new home. Either way, Canine Connections welcomes you.
As we said, Canine Connections starts with a connection, so lets get connected!
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