Typically, you can expect to see students when going to the Memorial Union, as they get coffee or just study.

However, plan on seeing some four-legged friends there as well soon.

On Wednesday and Thursday of dead week and finals week from noon to 2 p.m., the Memorial Union will host Paws to De-Stress in partnership with Oregon State University Counseling and Psychological Services.

Tessie Webster-Henry, the mental health promotion and suicide prevention coordinator at CAPS shared that the event is designed to allow students to interact with therapy dogs.

“It gives students a chance to take a break and do something positive for their mental health during these two weeks when the pressure and busyness is really ramped up,” Webster-Henry said.

The dogs are brought in by the local volunteer therapy dog group Welcome Waggers. Typically they have at least four dogs of various breeds and sizes working at a time for students to come see and pet.

“Dogs have a special way of absorbing stress and taking it away from you,” said Facility Captain Wendy McIlroy. “I think that’s a really helpful thing when you’re trying to deal with exams.”

The event, which has existed at the University for over 10 years, took a brief pause for the pandemic and then returned to an outdoor location, according to Webster-Henry.

“It’ll be a fun event, this is the first year we’ve had it since pre-pandemic that it’s been indoors again,” McIlroy said.

McIlroy shared that the event was very popular amongst students last year, and anticipates it will be again.

“It was crazy. There were over 300 people in the span of two hours in the one day we were there,” McIlroy said.

Each dog that comes in is certified through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, and it is all volunteer-based. Each of the dogs brought in does not work more than an hour, as it can be fairly intense for the dogs.

Throughout the afternoon, the volunteers working with Welcome Waggers make sure the dogs are well taken care of, allowing time for breaks and monitoring them to make sure they don’t get too overwhelmed.

“We are on the dog’s schedule, they are not on ours and we really care about our dogs,” McIlroy said.

McIlroy also shared how she thinks the event is beneficial, as it reminds students of their pets back home, offering some comfort.

“You get pretty stressed during exams and you can talk to your friends and family but you really miss your pets,” McIlroy said.