LA CROSSE, Wis. (WEAU) – Two times a month, Pearl Street Books hosts a read with therapy dogs session where community members can unwind with a book and furry friends.
“They really are the perfect way to reduce stress, force yourself to slow down, take time, just relax, and love something,” says Pearl Street Books owner Beth Hartung.
Hartung says everyone should have at least 15 minutes of contact with nature or animals a day.
“A lot of people don’t have that privilege of having pets in their home. We just wanted to offer a space where people could stop by and enjoy pet therapy,” says Hartung.
Elizabeth Laack and her family are one of the families who visit the dogs.
“We don’t have pets at home. It’s nice for my girls to come in and get the experience of a dog and pet it, be with it, and have that mind-spirit connection to it,” says Laack.
Linda Lee provides the therapy dogs. She says being with dogs can actually benefit a person’s health.
“Petting a dog can reduce your blood pressure. In our stressful times, I’ve watched people come in and they’re uptight and nervous. Then they come over and pet the dogs, and you can see the stress go out of them,” says Lee.
Hartung hopes these sessions will continue to relieve people of any stress life can bring.
“Owning a dog, owning a cat is really a privilege to be able to have the space and finances to do it. This is a way of sharing the pets,” says Hartung.
The next therapy dog session will be Wednesday, July 2nd.
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