The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Handler Rod Stoddart with Clova the collie has been offering some pet therapy to students at St Andrews University.
Handler Rod says collie aids young people who are far from home
Students at St Andrews University have been enjoying some pet therapy thanks to a very special rescue dog.
Clova, a collie trained in urban rescue, has been deployed at halls of residence to help stressed-out students relax as they juggle essays and assignments.
Her handler Rod Stoddart, 64, is a member of Trossachs Search and Rescue Team and also works as a cleaner at the university.
Over the years, Rod has been involved in many missing person searches, including some that have ended in tragedy as a result of suicide.
He said the aim of introducing Clova to students was to help them de-stress and boost their mental health.
“It’s about preventing people from going missing and preventing stress,” said Rod.
“You’ve got young people coming to university who are away from their families, who live in Germany, Italy or London. I’m trying to make it a little easier for them.”
He added: “I work at the university as a cleaner and I have been working on suicide prevention. I’m trying to build this into the university and in the future build it into other universities to prevent people from going missing.”
Mr Stoddart said he has had a lot of positive feedback from students.
“I’ve had students saying they can’t do this 1,500-word essay and after spending 20 minutes with my wee dog they’ve come up to me the next day and said they’ve just handed their essay in.”
Trossachs Search and Rescue Team took part in the university’s Science Discovery Day at the weekend, when some of the rescue dogs showed off their skills.
The team, which is trained to rescue people from collapsed buildings, has been involved in high-profile operations, including the Stockline factory collapse and the Clutha Pub tragedy.
Rescue dogs are trained to detect even the faintest traces of human smells.
They can search for someone having sniffed their car keys and can find clothing in 60 feet of water by detecting bacteria in bubbles of oxygen reaching the surface.
Rod spent 43 years of his life in mountain rescue and his dedication earned him an MBE in 2009.
He has also taken Clova into a care home to help people with dementia.
“It’s about bringing people together and preventing isolation. Dogs bring people together and bring a little happiness to people’s lives,” said Rod.
“I’m trying to build this into the university and other universities to prevent people from going missing
Prevention is always better than cure. In his role as a member of Trossachs Search and Rescue Team, Rod Stoddart has witnessed first-hand the very worst that can happen when someone struggles to cope with the pressures of life.
In his day job at St Andrews University, Rod is deploying a new strategy to help stressed out students.
He is now taking Clova the collie, an urban rescue dog, to work to offer pet therapy through canine cuddles. Hopefully it is a strategy that will continue to pay dividends.