In an effort to keep its students from getting so stressed during finals, Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada, has instituted what it calls a puppy room. Technically, the room doesn’t have any puppies. All the canines are official service dogs from Therapeutic Paws of Canada (we assume they have licenses) and are a year old or older. Puppies or no, the effort has been a howling success. Six universities have contacted Therapeutic Paws, wondering how to collar their own puppy rooms.  “If you do any research at all about the benefits of using pets, you’ll find out quite quickly that it lowers blood pressure,” says Don LeBlanc, Therapeutic Paws’ Halifax-based team leader. “It certainly made a huge difference in my life when I got a dog.” (National Post)

Paul Asay has covered religion for The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Beliefnet.com and The (Colorado Springs) Gazette. He writes about culture for Plugged In and wrote the Batman book God on the Streets of Gotham (Tyndale). He lives in Colorado Springs with wife, Wendy, and two children. Follow him on Twitter.