Millie Goes to Uni!

It’s exam time at Swansea University. I’ve been helping to de-stress the students, along with other dogs from Greyhound Rescue Wales, as part of the CBSA Best Friends project. Our humans hand out treats for the students to give us, then the students get to play with us and absorb our calming energy.

The first session took place outside so we could enjoy the sunshine. It’s not a very good shot of me, is it? You can just see my bum on the far right.

To be fair, no one could get a good shot of me because I kept wandering off. I was trying to avoid a terrier who’d come along with one of the sighthounds – he kept kicking off and starting fights. Also, being a literate Lurcher, I wanted to check out the University. I’d almost managed to get into one of the buildings when I was caught and brought back to the garden. I tried to explain I was thinking of enrolling, but no one was listening.

I got a chance to see inside two weeks later. The weather had turned nasty, so we were in the Students Union building.

I don’t think I helped the students much. We literary types can be quite introverted, and I’m no exception. I didn’t mind the humans, but there were far too many boisterous dogs around for my liking. They didn’t seem to understand the treats were for the students to hand out. When Annabelle opened the treat bag, she was mobbed by a gang of Greyhounds before she could get anywhere near the students.

This guy was particularly scary!

I felt quite intimidated, and I’m ashamed to say I spent most of the evening hiding in the corner.

I noticed a student on his own in the opposite corner. He didn’t seem to want to move away from the door – I suspect he felt as nervous as I did – so I went across to say hello.

Snip and Freda were more chilled, and enjoyed the attention.

All in all, it’s been an interesting adventure, but I don’t think I’ll be doing it again. I’m going to try helping out in care homes. Only quiet dogs are allowed to visit the people there – and, as Pearl has so kindly pointed out, they’re more my age group.