Testing stress eased by puppy love

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - Statewide testing has students busy in Jefferson County, but one school is bringing in visitors to help relieve the stress.
 
DuPont Manual High School is partnering with The Arrow Fund to let students play with dogs in between tests during AP testing week. Nearly 280 students will each get twenty minutes to roll around, play, kiss and chase the rescued dogs.
 
The dogs are brought in from The Arrow Fund and swapped out every two hours to give the dogs a break, too. The Arrow Fund is a Kentucky-based organization that provides medical treatment to animals who have been tortured, abused and neglected.

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Emily Huffman, a senior at DuPont Manual, spearheaded the efforts to de-stress students during testing week. Huffman spent eight months organizing schedules to allow each student the opportunity to have fun with the dogs.
 
"We have a lot of issues with stress here at our school," Huffman said. "A lot of students get stomach ulcers and have issues and they end up going home because we have so much testing here." 
 
Huffman wanted to give students a platform to relax and play with dogs and brought the idea to her principal, Jerry Mayes.
 
Mayes immediately supported Huffman's efforts, allowing her to schedule the special day for the students.
 
"This helps put a little more sanity to it," Mayes said. "To make them realize this is just a test and there are greater things other than a standardized test."
 
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