Hundreds of students attended Pause 4 Pups, a bi-weekly event that focuses on mental health by providing attendees an outlet for stress relief on Wednesday, Sep. 18, at the Crawford Community Center at 7 p.m.

Prescott Deckinger | KUJH Multimedia Journalist

That relief comes courtesy of furry-limbed companions from Loving Paws Animal Therapy, a non-profit organization aiming to supply students with a fun and engaging environment by virtue of caring canines. 

Students flocked to the lawn of Crawford Community Center to absorb cuddles, slobbery licks, and unending puppy love from three different pooches. 

“I feel happy and relieved. I love hanging out with dogs,” Sarah Welshman, freshman at KU said. 

Rylee, a curly-coat Goldendoodle, Walter-Loolu, an Airedale terrier and Jax, a Staffordshire pitbull, graced students with their uninterrupted attention for sixty minutes, alleviating pent-up emotions like stress, worry, and anxiety. 

Stress and other negative emotions are on the uptick for thousands of university undergraduates; according to a study by Gallup.com, over two-thirds of collegiate students experience stress or other negative emotions every single day. 

“Stress is a big thing not only for students at KU but students in all walks of life. Stress is prevalent because there are a lot of transitional changes and journeys students go through,” Cheleia Marshall, HERO health educator, said. 

“The ‘what’s next’ question, and figuring out how to maneuver through life causes a lot of anxiety for students,” Marshall said.  

Learning to deal with those difficult emotions takes time, and every student has a different strategy to confront their personal feelings; luckily, the Health Education Resource Office provides students with several resources to combat stress, including the opportunity to spend quality time with loving pooches. 

The next Pause 4 Pups event will occur on Wednesday, Oct. 2, at Jayhawker Towers Apartments at 7 p.m.