Amid midterm season, Okanagan College (OC) students had a chance to calm their nerves with help from therapy dogs on Thursday, Oct. 10.

At the post-secondary's 'Stress Buster' event, the Kelowna Caring Canines Society (KCCS) was on hand with four of their dogs for students to relax, pet, and hang out with during this busy time of the school year.

"We're here to help the students relieve stress and help them have some fun for a day," said KCCS Director Sue Willis. "For all the kids that are out of town missing their puppies and all the kids that are from Internationally, that want to meet the dogs and get to know them over the course of the year."

Willis along with volunteers and some of the dogs come to Okanagan College once a month during the school year, from September to March.

"It's so great, we meet such great kids from all over the world and it's really nice because they'll remember you from month to month and they'll want to come and talk to you, want to come and visit with the dog again and they scream the dog's name," said Willis, who's been with KCCS since 2002. "They're just so excited to see you again."

This time around, the therapy dogs being there lined up with the Stress Buster event, which happens with the OC Student Union once a semester, usually during a midterm or exam period.

"It is to alleviate stress for students through midterms and so forth because right now it is midterm time so they are under a lot of stress," said OCSU member Clayton Williams. "We're here to bring the awareness to them to calm them down, be relaxed, be in a space of getting their minds ready for midterms, finals, everything that's coming up."

"For a lot of students, they love it so much," OCSU member Sana Mwakat added.

Willis loves being able to help the students during the stressful school year.

"They need a chance to be kids, they're too busy being students," said Willis. "For the kids to come to be kids and just talk to you about life in general, or their dog at home or something, you can see the difference."

Thursday's event coincidentally also just happened to take place on World Mental Health Day.