There’s something about fur and four legs that we can’t get enough of. Maybe it’s the floppy ears on some, the wrinkled faces on others or their small size, but whatever it is, pets make us smile. In a recent therapy dog visit at Caldwell College in New Jersey, they’ve even proved to do much more.

The school invited dogs from two local therapy dog organizations and let them roam the student center, where stressed students could come in to forget about finals for a while. It was the school’s second year hosting the event, and the student’s smiles made it all worth while.

If you’re not familiar with pet therapy, therapy animals (dogs, cats, birds- even farm animals) can provide a number of benefits such as lowering blood pressure or helping rehabilitation patients redevelop their motor skills by petting or grooming a pet. Simply communicating about the animal can redevelop writing or speaking skills.

Pets are even proven to release endorphins- the hormones that make you happy! Guess there really isn’t anything quite like man (and woman’s!) best friend.