More than 70 Ohio University students blew off steam yesterday by playing with, walking and cuddling shelter dogs during the “Playtime with Puppies” event behind Gamertsfelder Hall on East Green.

“I have two dogs at home,” said sophomore Mary Reamsnyder, “so I miss them a lot when I come home from school, so I figured this would be a good study break for the week before finals.”

Resident Coordinator Nicci Delgado said she wasn’t a “dog person” until she got a border collie from the Athens County Dog Shelter about two-and-a-half years ago, and she spent the afternoon encouraging others to give it a shot as well.

Delgado, who lives in Washington Hall, said that she feels that playing with animals provides a comforting distraction around finals week, which is partly why she has chosen to hold the event around this time each quarter for the past eight years.

“People deal with stress in a variety of ways — some which are not necessarily as healthy or legal for them as they should be. So I think playing with dogs is a pretty benign way to do that,” she said.

Perkins Hall Council President Lizzie Rosegrant, a sophomore studying visual communications, worked closely with Delgado on the event last year as a member of the Washington Hall Council and helped organize it this year.

“It’s nice to go outside and pet dogs who really want the attention,” Rosegrant said. In addition, she said, “You get to talk to people who live on your green or live in your dorm who you haven’t met yet.”

The underlying goal of the event, however, was to find potential owners for the dogs there as well as those still at the shelter. Delgado said they also strive to educate possible pet owners on the commitment and responsibilities that come with adoption. This is partly because some of the homeless pets in Athens County were left behind by students, Delgado said.

“It is a community service event first and foremost,” Delgado said. “So many people get caught up in being an OU student that they miss the fact that they’re part of a large community and their actions have impact on that community. … Every year, some dogs have to be put down because they’re not adopted.”

Delgado said her group has been successful in finding homes for many dogs in the past and she’s already had some inquiries into adoption and shelter volunteer work. Adoption and licensing fees run at $65 per dog at the Athens County Dog Shelter, which is located at 13333 State Rt. 13 in Millfield.