On Tuesday, December 13th, 2016 the Duke Student-Athlete Development Department hosted the semi-annual Paws for Exams event for the 2016 fall semester. Over 100 student-athletes came by to visit and interact with Aspen, Beau, Izzie, and Shrimp, four locally-trained therapy dogs. Chris Taylor, Duke Student-Athlete Advisory Committee President, stated, "It's nice to decompress with the therapy dogs. They are the most cheerful animals in the world."
The Paws for Exams program is part of a campus-wide initiative to support students during the stressful time of final exams. On Duke's campus, students are not allowed to own pets, and this program provides a unique time in which students can interact with pets, often reminding them of their own pets back home.