Halifax College opens its Puppy Lounge – so we send someone to sniff out the action

Halifax College’s much-anticipated Puppy Lounge opened for business today – so we sent in our roving reporter Helena Horton to sniff out the action.

Around 200 undergraduates and postgraduates packed the event in JJs at Halifax College from 11am until 4.30pm.

Students were allowed 15 minutes with the animals, provided by the charity Guide Dogs in association with the college and York Nightline.

We sent our barking mad editor Helena Horton to go sniff out the action.

But she was left slightly disappointed after being told that the puppies had been sent home an hour earlier due to tiredness.

So instead she met with a 2-year-old labrador mutt named Ollie.

Attempting to get the cute canine’s attention, leg-flasher Helena went in for a kiss – as Ollie latched his Disney Pluto toy between his teeth.

Left unamused, the hound decided it was time for a kip and slept while he waited for his next appointment.

One student who attended the event told us they “loved” the idea, and would like it to be done again.

Another added: “It’s been great. The puppies are really cute, I hope it will be done again.”

The college’s Vice-President of Welfare Jessica Smith said the college are “definitely looking at doing it again next exam season” and would “like to keep working” with the Guide Dogs charity.

A spokesperson for Guide Dogs told Vision if they are invited back, “they will be back”. They added: “I think it’s gone fantastically well. Certainly from our point of view it’s been great to be working with the university and it’s been good to get all the dogs to come along, and it’s fantastic just to see so many people.”

Plans for a puppy lounge at Halifax College were originally released by the college’s Sponsorship Officer Rachel Smith in April.

But the idea has come under fire from animal rights organisation, PETA, who accused college bosses of ‘exploiting’ the animals.

Halifax College President, Loussin-Torah Pilikian, said: “The puppy event was such a success, and the Guide Dogs charity said that JJ’s was a brilliant space for it!

“They said students asked loads of good questions and the dogs, puppies, event hosts and members had a lovely time.”

Danielle Maxwell, a graduate student at York’s Centre for Women’s Studies, Halifax College Tutor and organiser of the event, added: “Thank you so much to everyone who came out and supported this event!

“The volunteers had excellent things to say about the students and the charity was really glad to see so much interest and participation!”

Officials at Goodricke College announced similar plans and unveiled their own puppy room, in association with the charity Hearing Dogs, last Friday.

Goodricke College President, Tara Annison, said: “It was an amazingly successful event, far more people turned up than we had expected but we had glorious sunshine and the charity Hearing Dogs were able to tell people all about the amazing work they do and volunteering opportunities available. Both dogs and humans thoroughly enjoyed themselves!”