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Sundance: Puppy Therapy For Festival Staff

During the 2016 Sundance Film Festival event organizers surprised staff with hours of puppy therapy. Sundance Utah Advisory Board Member Katie Eldridge said the project was a huge success so they decided to do it again in 2017. This year they wanted more time, more puppies and they wanted to include the volunteers.

“It’s a win/win for everybody,” Eldridge said. “The Sundance volunteers and staff, they’ve been working long hours. It’s a long festival and this is just a little bit of fun and a great stress reliever.”

While the therapy event is showing of appreciation and a gift for the humans the pet providers hope the puppies get more out of the experience. The puppies are available for adoption and are in need of a new home.

Nuzzles & Co Executive Director Kathleen Toth works with the group that rescues animals from both the Ute and Navajo reservations.                        

“So we brought them here today and they’re having a blast,” Toth said. “And they’re lab-cattle dog mixes. All these rescue dogs get to be 30 or 40 pounds but the great thing about them, especially for our community is they love to be outside – they’re active – so they make great little camping pals, trails buddies and they love people and are really adaptable and smart.”

Five puppies from the animal rescue shelter were happy to engage and interact volunteers.                          

“So far we’ve worn out the humans and not the puppies,” she said. “I think that they are just so happy to get a day that they can run around and play. And they’ve been on the couches and in peoples arms and they’re being cuddled. What I’ve noticed is it comes in waves for the puppies and they have no problem finding someone who wants to step outside of the circle and just sort of rock them and they’ll take a little nap.”

There are studies outlining the benefits of puppy therapy. Spending time with the animals not only reduces your blood pressure but some reports indicate this form of treatment can reduce a person’s risk of a heart attack by 40 percent.

“A recent study was just released about, not only humans, but dogs release a hormone oxytocin when you’re cuddling and sharing into each other eyes” Toth said. “That sense of love and well-being is as real for them as it is for you.”

Sundance Festival merchandising assistant Matthew Cochrane is from Chicago, IL.  He said the therapy took him back to when he got his first puppy.

“To be here with these puppies kind of reminds me of what dogs can do to make your day just that much better,” Cochrane said. “I know we put in a lot of work and everything but like, just to not have to think about the world around us is kind of nice.”

Toby Brooks is an assistant to the director at Sundance.

“One – I adore dogs,” Brooks said. “But two, I sprained my ankle earlier this morning so I was feeling like I needed some puppy love and these are just absolutely adorable, fluffy little puppies. I would like puppy therapy every morning and every night.”

Based on the response to this year’s puppy therapy program, Eldridge said organizers will definitely have puppy therapy for festival staff and volunteers in 2018.