COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KRHD) — More than 275 Texas A&M University students have signed up for a new program that pairs them with puppies destined to become service dogs for people like veterans and first responders.
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The initiative, launched through a partnership with the Guide Dog Foundation and America's VetDogs, allows students to serve as puppy raisers before the dogs receive formal training.
"Just like a little fur ball running around like, how can you say no to that?" said Sonya Keswani, a senior biomedical sciences major at Texas A&M University.
Man's best friend is a relationship almost as old as time, and one that goes beyond just a pet.
“They want to be involved in this journey, not to be just around cute puppies...but also to be part of someone's life — and that's what the puppy raising journey is," said Mike Rosen, chief marketing officer for the Guide Dog Foundation and America's VetDogs.
The Guide Dog Foundation and America's VetDogs are service dog providers.
15 ABC asked Rosen how much of a need there is for more service dogs.
"We have a simple mission — we want to get more dogs into the hands of more people in need as quickly as we possibly can," Rosen said.
They need puppy raisers to be able to do that, which is where Aggies come in.
"We don't know much about what they're going through and a lot of them don't talk publicly about it, and so a service dog can be so impactful for challenges that we don't even know they have," Keswani said.
For students like Inaya Wilson, a member of Texas A&M University's Class of 2028, it's a special opportunity.
"I get a chance to be a part of something bigger, helping someone who could possibly, you know, be visually impaired, mental health — it's a big thing to be a part of," Wilson said.
The puppy raising process requires students to handle responsibilities including crate training and maintaining potty schedules. The timeline spans 14 months before the dogs move on to formal service training.
The program's scale has impressed organizers, with Rosen noting the potential for growth.
"We believe that Aggieland could become one of the biggest college puppy programs that we have," Rosen said.
As this initiative begins, the impact these student volunteers can have is significant.
"That's what you're part of when you start raising a puppy — you're part of a journey to changing someone's life and in many instances saving someone's life," Rosen said.
Rosen tells 15 ABC that the hope is for the first puppies to arrive on campus with students by the end of October.
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