B.A.R.K. goes virtual to help students morale during reading break

Photo: Contributed

The long-running B.A.R.K. program on UBC’s Okanagan campus has gone virtual to help students stay calm and happy during reading break.

"Need a study break? It's now possible to experience B.A.R.K. during your reading break. We've gone virtual so you can now spend time with our therapy dogs at any time, from anywhere," B.A.R.K. tweeted.

B.A.R.K. (Building Academic Retention Through K-9s) program allows students to spend quality time with therapy dogs to reduce stress and homesickness.

Typically, students can meet-and-greet dogs on campus, but due to the pandemic the program has pivoted to online,

UBC Faculty of Education assistant professor Dr. John-Tyler Binfet launched the program in 2012, after moving to Kelowna from Los Angeles, where he did community volunteer work in a program that used therapy dogs to aid the well-being of adolescents with brain injuries.

“I’ve always been a big animal advocate and active in rescue work, so incorporating dogs into my work was a natural extension of something close to my heart,” says Dr. Binfet.

Students who would like to take part in the virtual program can click here.