Seven therapy dogs from West TN Therapy Dogs visited the University of Memphis Libraries on Thursday for a “Pause for Paws” event, giving students and faculty a chance to pet the animals and ease stress before final exams. Interacting with therapy dogs is known to reduce stress and anxiety and improve mood, making it a valuable resource for students during these high-pressure times. Additional coverage of this same incident

Organizers say the visit brought a simple, low-pressure moment to campus study routines: students and faculty gathered around the animals in the library to pet and spend time with the dogs, which volunteers described as friendly and calming. Many colleges in the United States have implemented similar pet therapy programs to help students cope with academic stress, according to college-planning resources such as College Raptor. How prevalent are therapy dog programs in universities across the United States?

Michelle Dry, Community Relations Coordinator for the University of Memphis Libraries, coordinates the visits and described the intent plainly. “I bring in the West TN Therapy Dogs every study day, and it’s a great way for everybody to take a moment, take a breath, and pause and pet a dog,” she said. This type of interaction has been associated with greater feelings of well-being among college students, contributing to a more positive campus environment.

Students said the animals helped break the tension of exam season. “The dogs have been super friendly and sweet, to pet them and hang with them is very leveling,” said Taylor Okelly, a 21-year-old student at the university. Such therapy initiatives are not only popular; they can effectively combat feelings of homesickness and loneliness common among students during finals. What are the psychological benefits of interacting with therapy dogs for college

Volunteers from the region brought the dogs to the main library. Tonia Hanson, a volunteer affiliated with West Memphis Alliance of Therapy Dogs, described small but meaningful interactions during the visit, including a student trying to capture a first-time moment on video. “There was a student today that said she had never picked up a dog before, so she wanted it on video the first time she picked up the dog,” Hanson said. This illustrates the personal connections that therapy animals can foster on campuses.

Hanson brought a puppy named Roy to the event, and volunteers supervised interactions to ensure that attendees could safely handle and pet the animals. Experts generally recommend that universities interested in establishing therapy dog programs set clear goals and develop written policies covering handler qualifications and animal welfare. What steps can universities take to implement their own therapy dog programs?

Campus therapy-dog visits are one way universities test brief interventions to reduce stress during high-pressure academic periods, and researchers and campus programs have examined such visits in broader higher-education contexts in various higher-ed publications.

For attendees, the event was short and focused on immediate relief rather than long-form programming. Students could approach the dogs between study sessions and leave when they were ready, returning to coursework with a brief reset. Such quick interactions can significantly enhance student well-being during challenging academic periods.

Those who ran the event described the simple pleasures of the visit. “This time of year, especially because the holidays and exams, it can be a lot,” Hanson said. She added that moments like the student’s first time with a dog made the volunteer work feel worthwhile, embodying the positive impact these animals have on the community.

The library’s Pause for Paws drew faculty as well as students, creating a mixed crowd that moved around the main reading area and sat with the dogs for brief intervals. The visit centered on one clear objective: to provide a nonclinical, friendly break from study pressure, illustrating the essential role that therapy animals play in enhancing mental health on campus.

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