A long day at school, followed by eight hours of standing on your feet at work, takes a toll on the soul. The only saving grace sometimes is that cute, furry, happy-eyed, four-legged friend waiting for you at home. Whether a cat or dog lover, there is no denying the emotional support our furry creatures offer us. With the trimester winding down, the stress levels seem to be on the rise. If you aren’t lucky enough to have a four-legged friend waiting for you at home, you may want to go find one to love on.

Puppy rooms are becoming more popular on college campuses. According to DogTime.com playing with pets can help lower blood pressure, lower stress, and manage depression. Yale Law Library, according to ABC News, allows students to “check-out” a certified service dog for 30 minutes of unconditional love at a time. Yale isn’t the only university doing this as well.  Tufts University in Massachusetts, Oberlin College in Ohio, and UC San Diego in California are just a few of the universities that part take in these practices.

The main ring leader in providing college students with loveable dogs to destress with is Therapy Dogs International (TDI). TDI is a volunteer organization bringing therapy dogs to wherever they’re needed. In a study performed by TDI, the organization states that the use of therapy dogs provides three benefits. The first benefit being that the overall quality of life for people benefits from animal contact. The second benefit is that it animal contact helps people out on a psychological level (as well as physical, social, and behavioral). The third benefit is that benefits are manifested only in certain situational and conditional contexts.

Finally, TDI’s logo is this, “Paws Awhile For Love” With the looming cloud of finals starting to cover the campus of USAO, try to find comfort in a furry, four legged friend. Pause for a moment for love.