Michigan Education

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Therapy dogs easing MSU student stress during final exam week

Michigan Public | By Steve Carmody

Published December 8, 2014 at 3:45 PM EST

Therapy dogs are helping to ease MSU students stress during final exam week with a little "heavy petting" in 2 of the university's libraries.

Therapy dogs are helping Michigan State University students take a break this week while they study for their final exams.

The dogs are available to students at two of the libraries on campus where some students practically live during finals week.

“They’re so soft,” says graduate student Aniseh Bro as she pets one of the dogs in a small room in MSU’s main library. She’s among a roomful of students taking a break from prepping for their finals by petting therapy dogs.

Librarian Holly Flynn says the dogs provide a much needed study break.

“Just petting a dog will slow your heart rate down…make you take a break and force you to rest for a few minutes before you hit the books again,” says Flynn.

MSU is one of many schools around the country that use therapy dogs to ease student stress during finals week.