Students dig dogs at Pause for Paws sessions in Kraemer Family Library

Dozens of students swarmed visiting dogs in the Kraemer Family Library this week, getting doggy kisses, playing “shake,” petting puppies and swooning over furry faces.

This semester’s Pause for Paws event brought dogs of all shapes and sizes to the library’s second-floor apse for three sessions intended to help students find relief from the stress of finals and the end of the semester. The therapy dogs are provided by K9 to 5 National Therapy Dog Registry.

Judging by an informal smiley-face assessment of how students felt heading in to see the dogs and how they felt afterward, Pause for Paws worked. Students were asked to paste a sticker on a poster board indicating their stress level both before and after the session.

The library hosted the dogs on Dec. 7, 8 and 12. The third session was added this semester to accommodate growing student demand for the canine visits. Pause for Paws is sponsored by the library, Student Government Association and UCCS Bookstore.

The sessions are part of the library’s No-Study Zones during dead week Dec. 5-9. Other activities included coloring, Legos and puzzles.