Universities around the world have introduced animal visits on their campuses on the back of studies and stories about how these encounters reduce stress. Now, HKU has introduced its own resident dog, Jasper, a nine-year-old rescue dog who has become an on-campus celebrity.

A press conference to introduce him in December, 2017 attracted more than 40 journalists and generated more than 65 reports in local, Mainland China and Taiwanese outlets including print, radio, video and social media. He also made an appearance at the annual spring reception at the University Lodge in February and has his own Facebook and Instagram accounts. People are encouraged to look out for him on campus and give him a pat and post a photo.

Most importantly, though, Jasper is the centre of a new pet therapy programme for students and staff that has been set up under the Library’s Take a Break marketing initiative, which began in 2016 and includes yoga, stretching and kickboxing sessions coordinated with HKU’s Centre for Sports and Exercise. “The assessment period can be a stressful time and we wanted to provide students and colleagues with some relief,” said Jasper’s owner Mr Gary Chin, who is also the Libraries’ Public Relations and Development Manager.

Take a Break initially included a Santa Paws visit by an international NGO but scheduling was a challenge. Jasper was suggested as a replacement therapy dog but Law Librarian Irene Shieh proposed taking things further by having a Resident Therapy Dog Programme for the HKU Libraries. She set this up with Mr Chin, who had served four years on the executive committee of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

Jasper was an ideal candidate, having already trained to the standards of the Dr Dog organisation (it took two attempts – he failed the first when he could not resist pawing someone who held food) and having visited centres for the elderly.

Animal welfare advocate

In the meantime, Jasper is not only providing furry comfort, but is also helping promote the libraries and animal welfare.

“We’ve been trying to market our libraries to encourage students to make better use of library services and collections. This is a challenge that we know other libraries are also facing,” Mr Chin said. “The programme helps raise our profile on campus.”

The attention received has led to Mr Chin and Jasper being invited to a session of the Common Core course ‘Some We Love, Some We Eat: Human-Animal Relationships in the Global Marketplace’ to discuss animal welfare– a topic close to Mr Chin’s heart not only through his SPCA work but also the experiences of his other rescue dog, Cooper, who had suffered abuse.

“One of the questions that students sometimes ask me is why pet ownership is so hard in Hong Kong. There are challenges like the limited physical space and the cost, but the most important factor is education. People aren’t educated on how to handle an animal,” he said.

“Education falls under our scope as a university. The Take a Break programme is trying to educate people and help them learn about animals. We hope it becomes contagious so that other universities in Hong Kong will find it worthwhile, too.”

Check out Jasper’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Play time

Pilot sessions with Jasper were organised on campus in December, 2017 comprising 18 30-minute blocks over six days in the Law Library and Main Library. Some 332 applications were received for 78 places.

Each session accommodated four or five people, who each had an opportunity to pet and hug Jasper, play tug-of-war with him and give him treats. Mr Chin was on hand to talk about Jasper and animal welfare in Hong Kong and answer questions.

Participants also completed a survey afterwards and nearly unanimously agreed or strongly agreed that they felt more relaxed and a sense of general well-being after the encounter. “Jasper is very calm and well-behaved and he helped me feel less anxious. I would definitely recommend others to join the programme,” said Lillie Lai Lam-fong, a first-year Master of Laws student.

Mr Chin said some animal welfare activists had raised concerns about Jasper’s welfare, but he was careful to ensure his dog was properly cared for. “The pilot programme was developed to accommodate as many students as possible but ensure Jasper would not be overwhelmed by a large number of participants or experience any ill effects.” After Jasper became comfortable with the designated locations, he settled in nicely. “Who wouldn’t want to come to work and get massages and treats and play games?” he said.

Nonetheless, the programme has been adapted to take account of Jasper’s age and needs. The second round of Take a Break was held in April, but only two sessions were held each day rather than three to reduce the demands on Jasper. Mr Chin expects that in a couple of years, it will be time for Jasper to retire and another dog will need to be found to fill his big paws.

Jasper made his first appearance at the press conference that took place in December, 2017, and attracted more than 40 journalists.

The new pilot programme ‘HKU Libraries Resident Therapy Dog’ aims to enrich students’ campus life and to relieve their stress in examination period.