A graduate of Brigham Young University, L Jay Mitchell is the founder of Greenbriar Academy for Girls in West Virginia. Before establishing the academy, L Jay Mitchell was an attorney and neurolinguistics trainer. Greenbriar Academy offers many programs for attendees, including its dog fostering initiative.
This dog fostering program offers women a chance to practice several of Greenbriar Academy’s aspirations, including respect, trust, and humility. It’s a vehicle for emotional transformation, as the program allows many participants to soothe emotional chaos and overcome introverted tendencies. Dog fostering has several psychological benefits. It reduces feelings of depression and anxiety while encouraging participants to engage in healthy forms of communication. Spending time with animals also reduces loneliness and offers participants comfort during stressful times. In fact, research from Washington State University suggests that spending 10 minutes petting a dog can reduce the stress hormone cortisol levels in the body.
Beyond the psychological impact, dog fostering or spending time with animals offers several physical benefits. It lowers the participant’s heart rate and blood pressure, in addition to helping immune function. Some evidence suggests that spending time with animals can even reduce physical pain.
