Niijii (photo submitted)

Niijii, meaning friend in Ojibway, is a three year old male German Sheppard.

He’s the mental health and wellness dog at Canadore College and he’s featured in the Maclean’s Magazine 2016 Colleges guide.

The article points out Niijii was brought in to Canadore in 2012 after successes with animals in hospitals and long-term care homes.
The college says he spends most days and nights in residence, being available to socialize with students who are feeling stressed, anxious or worn down with challenges.

The article quotes Niijii’s handler Rob McAulay as saying animals have a calming presence and can soothe in a different way, pointing out a person can tell the dog anything they can’t tell another person and know it isn’t going anywhere.

He also says Niijii helped out a student who moved across the country and was feeling homesick, by giving her a sense that someone was there, after spending time with the dog.

The Macleans’ article also highlights the fact students at Canadore can access all the traditional health supports like counselling and a crisis hotline, but there’s other things too, like a wellness lounge which offers message therapy, yoga, zumba and more.