Making a difference one pet therapy visit at a time
BIO5’s Amy Barber makes it her personal mission to boost coworkers’ wellness and morale with visits from fuzzy friends and other community-building activities.
Amy Barber, senior manager for marketing and events at the BIO5 Institute, started coordinating special events like Take A Paws as a way to boost office morale and ease work stress.
Photo by Noelle Haro-Gomez, U of A Health Sciences Office of Communications
Poppy the Chihuahua was only too happy to show off how she could raise her paws and ring a bell in exchange for treats.
Photo by Noelle Haro-Gomez, U of A Health Sciences Office of Communications
Miely Suarez only ordered an iced vanilla latte, but she ended up with a great freebie: a heaping side of puppy love.
Suarez, a second-year PhD student in the University of Arizona College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences, stopped at Catalyst Café on the first floor of the Bioscience Research Laboratory building. She was in desperate need of coffee after a stressful night of studying and an early morning meeting. She ended up with a boost of caffeine and canines.
The unexpected shot of “dogamine” came courtesy of Flour, Poppy, Bernie, Scout, Sailor, Marco – and a very helping hand from Amy Barber, senior manager for marketing and events at the BIO5 Institute.
Taking time to unwind
Barber coordinated the special pet therapy visit known as Take A Paws — a collaborative effort between Pet Partners of Southern Arizona and U of A Human Resources Life and Work Connections — to lift morale and ease stress, though that’s not part of her job description.
Barber created BIO5’s events and tours program.
“My overall goal is to provide a good experience for anyone who comes into contact with BIO5,” said Barber, who’s been with the U of A just shy of 14 years.
She oversees a team of six, including students, and runs an internship program to teach undergraduates about the business side of science. Barber has a lot on her plate. A few years ago, though, she took it upon herself to become the department’s wellness ambassador.
“I was noticing that people were stressed out,” Barber said. “I was stressed out, and no one was taking breaks. People were working through their lunches and staying late, and I knew that that wasn’t good.”
Flour, a miniature Australian shepherd, knows lots of cool tricks to show off, but she was happy to hand out cuddles, too.
Photo by Noelle Haro-Gomez, U of A Health Sciences Office of Communications
As a mother herself, of five kids, Barber knows all too well how easy it is to neglect yourself while caring for everyone else. She started suffering stomach- and headaches and tight, sore muscles on a regular basis as she struggled to balance an hour-long commute, work, parenting and everyday life.
One day she happened upon a campus pet therapy visit with two Golden Retrievers, which she’d grown up with as a child.
“It brought me so much joy, and so I just thought, you know what? It probably will bring joy to others as well,” she said. “It's a great de stressor, a truly great break in your day.”
So she reached out to Life and Work Connections, and Take A Paws was born. Things blossomed from there – for herself and her coworkers. Barber started making a point in her own day to take breaks, even if it’s just sitting outside in the grass with her laptop to work. She reminds others to practice timeouts by scheduling an activity calendar each semester full of different events widely appreciated by all.
“Amy’s efforts have created meaningful opportunities for connection and relaxation,” said Jessie Allen, BIO5’s director of communications and marketing and Barber’s supervisor. “Her dedication has made a noticeable difference, offering our dynamic team a chance to recharge and prioritize well-being amid the daily demands.”
Whether it’s a field trip to the Coit Museum of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, a quick visit to an ice cream shop or a game break in a conference room with snacks, Barber tries to come up with something for everyone. Participation has been steadily growing, but visits from furry friends tend to be the biggest crowd pleasers.
Smoothing out the "ruff" days
The sound of a high-pitched bell chimed above the chatter of people cooing over the dogs. It was Poppy the Chihuahua, showing off one of her best tricks for Suarez, the student who just happened upon the pup fest on her quest for coffee.
“I was dragging this morning,” Suarez said. “I feel great now, especially now that I’ve seen Poppy ring the bell.”
The recent two-hour visit from therapy dogs brought lots of smiles from students, staff members and passers-by, who were quick to snap photos.
Photo by Noelle Haro-Gomez, U of A Health Sciences Office of Communications
Mini Australian Shepherd Flour – yup, as in all purpose – was only too happy to spin around or weave in between someone’s legs in exchange for a treat while Bernie the Bernedoodle and Marco , a Lab Boxer mix, were perfectly happy to sit and chill as visitors snapped selfies with them and scratched behind their ears.
The pooches had only just arrived when one woman took Barber aside to thank her and tell her how much she appreciated the visit because she’d just lost her dog. She wiped tears from her eyes, and the two women hugged.
Xavier Chaidez, a research technician with the U of A Department of Psychology Cognition and Neuroimaging Laboratory, never misses a pet therapy visit.
“This is such a great pick-me-up,” said Chaidez, who has his own rescue Australian Cattle Dog at home. “It’s a great morale booster, something to look forward to.”
Barber surveyed the room and smiled.
“Look how happy everyone is,” she said. “I love seeing how people light up as soon as they come in and see the animals.”
It’s extra work for Barber and worth every second of it when she gets feedback from coworkers as she did at a Take A Paws event last year.
“He told me how much it meant to him, and that it reminded him of the importance of taking a break,” Barber said. “He said he had this pure feeling of joy that lasted through the whole day.”