Boots, the therapy cat, lounged casually between two students as they studied for final exams on Monday in the Pit.
Other dogs mingled with law students and faculty making sure to position themselves at the best vantage points for ear scratches and tummy rubs.
Law school is tough. So, to help make final exams a little more bearable, 10 dogs and a cat from Caring Hearts Pet Therapy spent time with law students during the first day of final exams providing some much-needed stress relief and a study break.
“Dogs are always happy to see you. They are energetic and upbeat and that energy rubs off on you,” said Tiffany Raker, a third-year law student from Northumberland. “When you are tired and spending hours studying, having the dogs here is calming.”
Landa Porter, of Allentown, who plans to graduate this year, agreed that having the animals come provides respite from her studies.
“I just like seeing their unconditionally loving faces,” Porter said as she was petting Boots. “They make it all OK and are a happy reminder that there are other things in life.”
Mary Catherine Scott, Director of Student Organizations, added that each time the dogs come for a visit on campus she can see the positive effect they have on the students.
“The therapy dogs came on campus for the first time several weeks ago for the Mental Health Awareness Day sponsored by the American Bar Association and the feedback from the students was overwhelmingly positive,” Scott said. “We knew that having the dogs on campus several times during final exams would help the students get through this stressful period at the end of the semester.”
Caring Hearts Pet Therapy will be on the law school campus May 9 and May 14 to visit with students.
