Macalester students hug dogs before final exams

Stressed out students at Macalester College in St. Paul will get a change for some doggie therapy on Saturday when alumni and faculty are being encouraged to bring their dogs to campus.

It's called the Macalester Dog Day Afternoon and it comes just as students are about to begin their final exams for the semester. The event is set for 1 p.m. on Bateman Plaza on the St. Paul campus.

College spokeswoman Barbara Laskin says the liberal arts college has had the event twice a year since December 2006. She says about a dozen dogs usually show up. They all get name tags shaped like bones.

She says the event is a big hit with students, who often say one of the pets reminds them of their dog back home.

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