“I think that these kind of activities are not only relieving for the students but also the dogs and our team,” said Karen Hyams, the owner of Mooky.

Hyams also told us about the seven-week training period required to join New York Therapy Animals.

The organization carefully examines the eligibility of the dogs, since they work with schools, hospitals and other institutions.

They also have strict rules for the students who are interacting with the dogs, which is why every student had to sign a form beforehand.

USG tried to make this event happen before in the past but could not.

“They tried for multiple years and it was always prevented by OSL and public safety. To my knowledge the only reason that was given was that animals were not allowed on campus. But I found out that was untrue,” D’Souza told The Ticker.

Although some students stated that they were expecting more dogs and a longer time slot with the dogs, the overall reaction was positive.

“It was a really awesome stress reliever. While I was playing with the dogs I kind of forgot all of the other assignments and stuff that was worrying me before,” said sophomore Ana Rodriguez.

USG members were also pleased with the feedback they received from students.

When The Ticker asked if USG is planning to have these type of events again in the future, D’Souza responded, “The students loved the event so I’m very happy about that. I do intend on bringing them back since students loved it so much and they really do help during finals and midterms.”