Puppy 'therapy' offers stress solution for workers

16 September 2025

Alice Cullinane, in Solihull

News image — The puppy scheme aims to get office workers away from screens and destress from their daily tasks

Ian Yates A grey and white French bulldog is wearing a red spotted collar and is being held by a woman with long brown hair. — The puppy scheme aims to get office workers away from screens and destress from their daily tasks

A sandwich and a scroll through social media is a typical work break for many, but what about a lunchtime cuddle with puppies?

Office workers switched up their downtime by attending 20-minute dog "therapy" sessions to destress and relax from their daily work life.

The activity at Birmingham Business Park in Solihull aimed to get people away from screens to cuddle, feed and relax outside with playful French bulldogs.

Organiser Puppy Yoga London, which holds the sessions, said it loved seeing the joy that the dogs brought to people in an office environment.

"Not everyone has the exposure and the ability to be in contact with puppies, and dogs are so beneficial to be around mentally," said Crystal Lake at the company.

She said the sessions were important because they helped socialise the puppies and get them used to interacting with people before they left their breeder for forever homes.

Ian Yates A brown puppy and a black and grey puppy are holding fluffy toys in their mouths while surrounded by blankets. — The playful pups loved fighting over a range of colourful toys

Each session featured a range of cuddly toys and blankets for the dogs with a short break in between so the pups could rest and relax.

"It's great to open people up to the world of dogs so it's not so scary for them; that is just the best," Ms Lake said.

Alice Cullinane/BBC A woman is sitting next to a white fence and holding a grey and black spotted puppy in her arms. She is wearing a black denim jacket and is smiling while other people cradle puppies in the background. — Ali Duffield said she would take part in puppy therapy every day if she could

Ali Duffield, who works at Birmingham Business Park, was having a stressful morning before the puppy therapy session.

But she said that disappeared when she spent time with the "beautiful" dogs during her lunch break - something she had been looking forward to all morning.

"When you're with animals, they always destress you; they're just amazing and make everything worthwhile," she said.

Ms Duffield said she used to have a dog herself and would happily spend time with the pups at work every day if she could.