Tiny puppies made Evan Shapiro’s day Wednesday.
Amid upcoming exams and end-of-semester stress, Shapiro spent his afternoon relaxing and hanging out with MegaHeart, a dark brown and black 2-year-old German Shepherd-Chihuahua mix. He was one of about 500 who stopped to pet, admire and snap photographs of three volunteer puppies in front of Library West, brought by the nonprofit Happy Life Entitled Inc.
“Dogs are one of the best stress-relievers in the world,” said Shapiro, a 22-year-old UF political science senior. “Better than any medication.”
Happy Life is a nonprofit that aims to help college students improve their lives by saving money, reducing stress and having fun, according to the organization’s website. The organization hosted the puppy-petting event to reach out to students, said Jon Anderson, the co-founder.
Anderson, a 71-year-old Army veteran who served in the Vietnam War, graduated from UF in Fall 2016 with a master’s degree in family, youth and community sciences. He said he wants to use social media to build a stronger community around the world. As of press time, about 1,400 people on Facebook marked they were interested in Wednesday’s event, and 458
marked they would attend.
“This literally can change the world,” said Anderson, regarding social media’s ability to bring people together.
Kenneth DeMason, a 19-year-old UF mathematics and biochemistry freshman, said he’s glad Anderson’s group brought the puppies, especially before exams.
“I love small dogs,” he said. “They make me really happy.”
MegaHeart, a 2-year-old German Shepherd-Chihuahua mix, was rescued from a kill shelter in Kosovo. She was brought to UF by Happy Life Entitled Inc. to raise awareness about their nonprofit organization, which is aimed at saving the planet in addition to providing students a way to relieve stress.
