Therapy dogs will be ruff-ing it on Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Room 902 of the Hart Senate Office Building and rooms 2043 and 2044 of the Rayburn House Office Building.
“Who better to bring comfort and relief to the hardworking folks on Capitol Hill than a furry group of loving, intuitive, and bipartisan Pet Partners therapy animals?” the groups asked in a news release touting the event.
The animals, which ITK hears will be registered therapy dogs, are meant to “offer congressional staff a break from the stress of wrapping up an exceptionally busy year” and to demonstrate the “health and wellness benefits of the human-animal bond.” According to therapy animal organization PAWS for People, the scientifically-proven benefits of pet therapy include decreasing anxiety, providing comfort, and even lowering blood pressure.
“This is a happy accident,” PIJAC President Mike Bober told People. “We had this planned for several months, so when they announced the date of the hearings, we thought ‘if there was ever a time for a bipartisan source of comfort and relief, it’s today.’”