Regina Willen proves that petting is instrumental in reducing stress in shelter dogs

Dogs in animal shelters face high levels of health-threatening, behavior-altering stress that can keep them from being adopted and lead to them being euthanized. But petting the animals for as little as 15 minutes a day can change all that, according to Wright State University research.

The research was conducted by Regina Willen, a graduate student, under the direction of psychology professors Michael Hennessy, Ph.D., and Patricia Schiml, Ph.D. “This research isn’t just improving lives, it’s saving lives,” said Mark Kumpf, director of the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center. “Fifteen