College finals are just around the corner for SUNY Plattsburgh students.“Everybody is in full gear. They are crunching, and they are studying,” SUNY Plattsburgh counselor Allsun Ozyesil said.That's why SUNY Plattsburgh held an event to help students de-stress from the school work. From making stress balls, to meditation, painting, and donkeys."I love donkeys! So, I ran over here,” SUNY Plattsburgh student Nabila Mohammed Jibril said.Celeste, Jessie and Cookie are three miniatare donkeys involved with Thera-Pets. They are a nonprofit group with the goal of improving health through farm animals.“These animals can bring your stress levels down. If you have a hard stress life or day, just spend 10 minutes with them you'll chill right out,” Thera-Pets member Ken Besaw said.With final exams right around the corner, therapy animals are bringing a sense of ease and playfulness to students demanding workloads. “Events like this and having fun with other people and seeing other people happy helps you not feel to stress out,” Mohammed Jibril said.Ozyesil says these donkeys can be an unexpected way to connect with the real world.“You are used to being behind a screen and talking to people. It can kind of get you disconnected. This is kind of where our life is socially now. With animals, you can't text an animal. You can take pictures of them. But you are touching them. That's how you’re physically connecting with them,” Ozyesil said.

College finals are just around the corner for SUNY Plattsburgh students.

“Everybody is in full gear. They are crunching, and they are studying,” SUNY Plattsburgh counselor Allsun Ozyesil said.


That's why SUNY Plattsburgh held an event to help students de-stress from the school work. From making stress balls, to meditation, painting, and donkeys.

"I love donkeys! So, I ran over here,” SUNY Plattsburgh student Nabila Mohammed Jibril said.

Celeste, Jessie and Cookie are three miniatare donkeys involved with Thera-Pets. They are a nonprofit group with the goal of improving health through farm animals.

“These animals can bring your stress levels down. If you have a hard stress life or day, just spend 10 minutes with them you'll chill right out,” Thera-Pets member Ken Besaw said.

With final exams right around the corner, therapy animals are bringing a sense of ease and playfulness to students demanding workloads.

“Events like this and having fun with other people and seeing other people happy helps you not feel to stress out,” Mohammed Jibril said.

Ozyesil says these donkeys can be an unexpected way to connect with the real world.

“You are used to being behind a screen and talking to people. It can kind of get you disconnected. This is kind of where our life is socially now. With animals, you can't text an animal. You can take pictures of them. But you are touching them. That's how you’re physically connecting with them,” Ozyesil said.