If downward dog — or dogs in general — are your thing, the Needham High School student council has organized a fundraising event that should make your ears perk up. On Sunday, May 18, all are invited to attend “puppy yoga” in the high school gym. Great Dog Rescue New England will bring seven or eight adoptable puppies to participate in the two yoga sessions.
Nandita Karthik, student council co-president, said many high school students take yoga and core classes, and some have gone into Boston for puppy yoga events that can cost upward of $60. “We thought we could do it at the high school,” said Karthik, “but at a lower price.”
The students worked with Doggie Noses and Yoga Poses, an organization based in New Jersey that collaborates with animal rescues around the country to coordinate doggie yoga events.
Debra Furstenberg, who founded DNYP nearly eight years ago, said this is a great way to relieve some stress at the end of the school year. She often runs doggie yoga classes on college campuses during exam weeks and move-in/orientation. The group also helps coordinate team-building events for work groups and offers public classes itself.
“There have been studies that show when you interact with animals, especially dogs, it’s a way to relieve stress,” said Furstenberg. “Some (participants) are looking to get yoga done, and some are just coming to sit on their mats to play with the dogs. Everything is welcome and encouraged.” She said dogs and yoga pair well because dogs embody the yoga philosophy of being in the moment and doing what feels good to them. “Come and do what feels good to you and honor what your body and mind want you to do.”
The student council will donate a portion of the proceeds to the rescue organization and use remaining funds to help pay for community events and club requests in the future. “When clubs need extra funds, they come to us,” Karthik said. “It’s hard right now because we don’t have a ton of money. It’s easier to say yes to them if we do this.”
And although pet adoption isn’t the primary goal of this event, Mindy Wogan of Great Dog Rescue New England said they will have several volunteers on hand to help manage the pups and answer any questions about fostering or adopting. “There will be a lot of very cute puppies who are well socialized,” she said. “It’s always great for us if they turn into adoptions and love stories as well.”
Participants can register online and pay in advance via MySchoolBucks or at the door with checks or cash. Individuals must bring their own yoga mats.
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