Buckeye Paws was initiated in March 2020, with the mission of supporting the mental and emotional health of staff at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center through highly trained, certified therapy dog-handler teams. Due to the success of the program and support from President Kristina M. Johnson and the Buckeye Paws Advisory Board, in March 2022, Buckeye Paws announced their expansion to provide therapy dog assistance to students, faculty and staff of The Ohio State University.