Stressed and in need of a furry friend? Look no further!
The Humane Society of USC will host its first-ever event at Founders Park on Friday to promote mental health awareness. Students will be able to pet and hang out with stress-relieving rescue and therapy dogs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
There will be around 15 dogs sporting USC gear at the event for students to interact with. The event will also include several information booths from mental health organizations and rescue groups to promote pet adoptions among students while emphasizing the positive impacts pets can have on mental health.
“When I was admitted into USC, I immediately looked for an organization that was related to animal welfare due to my inherent love for [animals], [and] to my surprise there were no prominent organizations in support of animal well-being,” said Skyler Nahouray, sophomore and founder of The Humane Society of USC. “This motivated me to take the initiative as a freshman.”
Nahouray founded the Humane Society of USC in 2022 with his older brother Austin Nahouray, a junior at the USC Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry. The organization is a nationally recognized and sponsored chapter of the Humane Society of the United States. There are 250 members of the chapter at USC and their goal is to begin volunteering at local shelters in November and continue to host more events.
“The three main goals of the event are to raise awareness for animals in need, emphasize the bidirectional relationship between humans and animals and highlight effective ways to support one’s mental well-being,” said Nahouray.
Nahouray’s passion for animals began at an early age.
“I raised chickens and goats in my house in Los Angeles, so I’ve always been around animals,” he said.
Nahouray’s family additionally established a rescue farm in Bakersfield, Calif. where they provided homes to farm animals including chickens, goats, sheep, cows, turkeys, and other livestock who were abandoned by their original owners or found in horrific living conditions.
He explained how he also created a Humane Society chapter when he was in high school where he raised upwards of $50,000.
“I’m grateful to be here at USC and do the same,” Nahouray said. “This is our first event of the year and the plan is to raise awareness for animals, volunteer as a group, and just raise awareness for the animals that don’t have a voice.”
The event is in collaboration with LA Animal Services, Rover’s Retreat Dog Rescue, The Alliance of Therapy Dogs, LAX PUPs and the USC Student Health Service Team at USC.