OMAHA, Neb. -- Kacey Oberlander is missing her dogs back home, and shes more than a little stressed competing in the high-pressure environment at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials.Thats where Holly comes in.The adorable, 4-year-old Havanese is available for petting and furry hugs.It just calms me down a lot, said Oberlander, who swims for York YMCA in Pennsylvania and will be attending the University of Alabama in the fall. Its nice to see the happy puppy dogs running around when everything is so intense and everyones so serious. The dogs are very happy all the time. It makes me calm.Yep, these Olympic trials have gone to the dogs -- and the athletes are loving it.USA Swimming, in an effort to ease some of the anxiety accompanying such a major meet, has partnered with Domesti-PUPS -- a nonprofit organization based in Lincoln, Nebraska, that is providing four-legged companions for the athletes lounge at CenturyLink Center.In a section of the arena that is generally off-limits to everyone except the swimmers, dogs such as Holly and Larry, a Goldendoodle who will readily pose for a picture or pause for a pat on the head, have been welcomed with open arms.If anyone doubts their purpose, each pooch wears a collar that says, Please ask to pet me. Im friendly.Theres a lot of pressure, said Leah Braswell, a teammate of Oberlanders. Having the dogs here is a great distraction, a way to take a break from all of that. Theyre happy all the time. It just makes you happier. You can forget about whatever race you just had.Given their gentle, soothing nature, therapy dogs have become more and more familiar around hospitals, retirement homes, hospice centers and disaster areas. Theyve provided comfort to veterans and those suffering from autism. Theyve even done time in prisons, nudging inmates along the road to rehabilitation.Theres no judgment from these animals. Fido merely wants to love and be loved. For someone in pain or anguish, they can be an invaluable companion.At the Olympic trials, their role is a bit different.But its really in keeping with the extensive training that Domesti-PUPS puts its animals through before sending them out into the world.Anywhere theres an elevated level of stress, we can take our dogs and try to de-stress them, said Sandy Ludwig, who works with the organization. These dogs are just lying there, waiting to have their bellies rubbed or their ears scratched.Thats what Morgan Weinberg had in mind for the trials, an all-or-nothing meet that not only determines the powerful American team for the Rio Games, but also serves as a chance for many up-and-coming athletes to get their taste of a big-league atmosphere.There are more than 1,700 swimmers in Omaha, most of whom have no chance of qualifying for the Olympics.Yet the burden of competing weighs on all of them to some degree.This is the first time weve ever done it, said Weinberg, the program and services manager for USA Swimming. Im an animal lover myself, and I was trying to think of different ways in the athlete lounge that they would calm down and kind of just relax and have fun. I like dogs, I thought about dogs, and it just kind of evolved into therapy dogs.She got in touch with Domesti-PUPS, which is providing about 30 dogs for all but the final night of the eight-day meet, which runs through Sunday.Four dogs at a time work in three-hour shifts -- some rotating through during the morning preliminaries, others stopping by for the evening finals. They even have their own security credentials, complete with a photo.On the very first night of the trials, Ludwig knew she was on to something when a swimmer spent 20 minutes petting one of her pups.About an hour later, she came back and said, `That was a best swim I ever had, Ludwig recalled. She said, `I was so relaxed when I went and jumped in the pool.Thats not all. Many swimmers are missing their own dogs, the ones they had to leave at home, so theyre eager to just roll around on the floor with a canine they can at least temporarily call their own.Oberlander is one of those going through pet withdrawal.She has a pair of miniature dachshunds, Biscuit and Bella.I miss them soooo much, Oberlander said. When I come in here and see the dogs, its just like home.Theres one Labradoodle in particular who caught her eye -- and her heart.Hes very fluffy. I like him the best, she said, breaking into a big grin. Its like bringing a piece of Pennsylvania here to Nebraska with me.---Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/paul-newberry .Wholesale Running Shoes Uk . "We have always prided ourselves on the way we play defence. Having two big pieces back is going to be a key for us moving forward for years to come," said Knighthawks head coach Mike Hasen. Cheap Wholesale Running Shoes . The Hall of Fame defenceman told Landsberg that he believes fighting still has a place in todays game, but thinks staged fighting needs be outlawed. http://www.discountrunningshoesuk.com/ . After slipping from the summit during the week, the Gunners overcame struggling Crystal Palace 2-0 on Sunday thanks to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlains second-half brace. Discount Running Shoes Uk . -- On the field, it was business as usual for Jameis Winston and No. Cheap Running Shoes Sale . -- Aldon Smith believes he is on the path to being sober for good.ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Los Angeles Angels slugger C.J. Cron is having a medical procedure to relieve pain in his left thumb.Cron will need six to eight weeks of recovery time, the Angels announced Tuesday.After experiencing moderate pain recently, Cron had an examination by Dr. Steve Shin, who decided to perform an arthroscopic debridement at the base of his thumb.Cron should be fine for spring training.The first basemaan and designated hitter batted .dddddddddddd78 with 16 homers and 69 RBI in 116 games last season, setting personal bests in almost every statistical category during his third year in the majors. He missed six weeks of the season after his left hand was broken when he was hit by a pitch. ' ' '