Rescue dogs to the rescue! UHHSA senator launches “Pause for Paws” where pups help pharmacy students decompress
Anna Alfred’s overall goal as student senator is to make students feel supported academically and in their overall wellbeing, all with a sense of community.
By Susan Enright/UH Hilo Stories.
University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo pharmacy student Anna Alfred says she ran for a student government position because she wants to help create a supportive and connected environment for pharmacy students. She’s now a senator in the UH Hilo Student Association, representing the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy.
“I am passionate about student wellbeing, accessibility to resources, and making sure student voices are heard,” says Senator Alfred in her UHHSA bio. “Throughout my time serving, I’ve worked to promote initiatives that support mental health, reduce stress, and encourage community engagement.”
One program she’s heading through UHHSA — that she hopes will get some legs — is “Pause for Paws,” where pharmacy students can mingle with rescue dogs. The first event was held in May this year during finals week. Another is being planned for this fall.
“As pharmacy students, finals week can be incredibly stressful and emotionally draining, so I wanted to create an opportunity for students to take a short break, decompress, and connect with something positive during such a demanding time,” Alfred says in an email. “The idea sparked from similar events that I had during my undergraduate studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where I worked as a resident assistant and hosted many similar ‘therapy dog’ events. It usually ended up being a crowd pleaser!”
On-campus dog therapy protocol developed by UH Hilo anthropology students
Alfred received support for the event from Lynn Morrison, a UH Hilo anthropology professor who several years ago shifted her research focus from women’s health to the intersection of human health and animal welfare. Some of Morrison’s students have conducted projects in her applied anthropology class, developing a protocol to have service animals on UH Hilo campus as “pet therapy,” to alleviate stress around exams.
- Learn more about Morrison’s students’ pet therapy project: UH Hilo anthropology student researches the benefits of pet therapy (May 9, 2023, UH Hilo Stories).
- Learn more about Prof. Morrison’s research at the website Keaohou.
Morrison is co-founder and past president of “Action 4 Animals Hawaiʻi,” a local non-profit that advocates for the humane treatment of animals through adoption and neutering, fostering, and adoption programs. Morrison coordinates adoption events, organizes walks for kenneled pups, facilitates fostering and adoption, and works closely with rescues off-island, especially in Canada, to secure homes for their animals. “As an anthropologist, Lynn’s research dives into cultural attitudes toward animals and the realities of occupational stress for shelter staff,” states her bio on the non-profit’s website.
“Anna asked us the bring some of our rescue dogs to the College of Pharmacy on May 5,” says Morrison. “As future health-care workers, I thought it was cool that they took the initiative to do something they knew would help them.”
Three of “Action 4 Animals Hawaiʻi” rescue dogs — Oreo, Phoebe, and Cora, ranging from 11-months to two-years old — arrived at the UHHSA-hosted pet therapy event held at the College of Pharmacy.
Click/tap photos for full size.
“Throughout the event, students were able to spend time with the dogs, pet them, take photos, and simply relax with one another outside of the classroom setting,” says Alfred. “In total, 41 students attended the event.”
She adds that the response from students was overwhelmingly positive.
“Many students shared that spending even a few minutes with the dogs helped ease stress and improve their mood during finals week,” she says. “As future healthcare professionals, I think it is important that we also prioritize mental wellbeing and support systems within our student community.”
Senator Alfred plans to organize more student wellness events this semester packed with pups, support, and essentials
Honing to her goals, Alfred is planning to continue many of the student wellness initiatives she has focused on in the past. “I am passionate about student wellbeing, accessibility to resources, and making sure student voices are heard,” she says.
“One event I would love to bring back is the dogs during finals week in December, especially because so many of my classmates really enjoyed having them last year,” she explains. “We also provided energy drinks and frozen meals during finals, which were very well received and helped give students a little extra support during such a stressful week.”
She’s also considering hosting a larger wellness-focused event sometime during the middle of the fall semester. “I’m currently gathering student feedback and trying to determine what would be most beneficial for our pharmacy students,” she says.
Another initiative Alfred is especially excited to continue is her “Welcome Back Refill.”
“At the beginning of spring 2026, I set up a table filled with pharmacy school essentials and small wellness items, including notebooks, pens, highlighters, Aquaphor, hand sanitizer, and other things students could use throughout the semester,” she says. “We had a really great turnout, and students seemed to genuinely appreciate it, so I’m hoping to bring it back again this upcoming spring.
“Overall, my goal as senator has been to make sure students feel supported not only academically, but also in terms of their overall wellbeing and sense of community within (the pharmacy college).”
Story by Susan Enright, public information specialist for the Office of the Chancellor and editor of UH Hilo Stories. She received her bachelor of arts in English and certificate in women’s studies from UH Hilo.
