Animal Aura Puppy Yoga, Snuggle Sessions at Hampshire Mall Sell Out Fast

Classes at Animal Aura Yoga inside Hampshire Mall in Hadley filled rapidly around the studio’s Feb. 16 puppy-yoga and snuggle sessions, owner Donna French said, and she is adding more classes to keep up with demand. The studio, located at 367 Russell Rd near Target, markets a 60-minute Puppies & Yoga session at $49.99 and a shorter Puppy Snuggle cuddle session listed at $34.99 for 55 minutes.

Animal Aura’s class lineup also includes a 30-minute Power Puppy Break for $24.99, with Kids/Senior discounts of $10 on several offerings; the website lists Kids/Senior rates of $39.99 for the hourlong class and $14.99 for the Power Puppy Break. Private events are available as well, with one-hour private parties reported at $385 and two-hour options at $650, and the business offers off-site parties.

The studio’s programming mixes gentle yoga and timed puppy interaction. MassLive reported that the first roughly 30 minutes of a Puppies & Yoga class follow a standard yoga flow, “Detach. Breathe. Be present.”, and then French lets the dogs out. “Usually after a few minutes everybody is just snuggling with puppies,” French said. Animal Aura’s own copy describes the hourlong class as “A joyful 1-hour class with gentle poses and plenty of puppy snuggles. Leave feeling calm, uplifted, and smiling.”

Animal welfare and sourcing are emphasized in studio materials. Animal Aura’s Puppy Care Promise states puppies are 7–12 weeks old, fully vaccinated, and given “plenty of rest time and snacks.” French has said the puppies must be weaned and vaccinated, and that the dogs do not live at the studio nor are they for sale or up for adoption; MassLive reported that dog owners with litters are paid for their puppies’ time and that finding suitable litters is a recurring operational challenge.

Social media activity reflected brisk local interest. Animal Aura’s Facebook posts carried lines such as “Spots fill fast” and a “Grand Opening Today – February 4” post that showed 416 views in the captured screenshot; other posts and short videos showed engagement counts of 313, 280 and 216 views in the same captures. Instagram promotions noted special touches for holiday programming, including a harpist, Hannah Holman, booked for Valentine’s Day sessions.

There are a few timing details that appear in different sources: a MassLive report says French and partners opened Animal Aura “in August,” while the studio’s Facebook announced a Grand Opening on February 4; both items appear in the public record. The studio lists a Golden Retriever guest week scheduled for Feb. 15–24 and posts weekend and limited-weekday hours, Sunday and Saturday 9:00 AM–5:00 PM and Wednesday 3:00 PM–6:00 PM in the current site capture.

The Hampshire Mall location near Target has been called an asset for the business even as the mall itself changed hands at a foreclosure auction in 2024. French framed the concept in familiar experiential-yoga terms: “We’re similar to goat yoga. Only here your experiences are with puppies.” To reserve space for upcoming Puppy Yoga or Puppy Snuggle sessions, callers can reach the studio at 860-712-8220; French says she will add more classes as the demand continues.