Cedars, September 2019

September 2019 4 CAMPUS Promising Puppies: What it Takes to Train a Service Dog by Brianna Saucier Y ou’ve seen them around campus: the adorable furry animals wearing bright red vests that steal the hearts of everyone they meet. K9s at the Ville has hosted numerous events over the years, including Pause for Paws, which takes place during finals to de-stress college students with puppy love, and Pupperoni Night (now Pawsta Night), which combined dinner with furry compan- ions. The org will also make an appearance at the October ALT night. K9s at the Ville is a nonprofit organi- zation on campus that represents the much larger organization 4Paws for Ability, a global organization that trains dogs to be- come service animals for children and vet- erans with disabilities. 4Paws has student programs nationwide in almost every state and major university. K9s at the Ville gives students the unique opportunity to train service dogs for those who struggle with seizures, autism, diabetes, hearing disabilities, fetal alco- hol syndrome or impaired mobility. Anna Webner, president of K9s, said this chance to make a difference is what inspired her to join. “It was very rewarding to know I was a part of that,” Webner said. “It is really cool to still hear from [the dogs’ new families] after graduation and be able to know that the hard work we put in goes towards some- thing really meaningful.” There are currently three trainees from K9s at the Ville on campus: 4-month-old Getty, 8-month-old Elton and 16-month- old Dundee. Photo by Macey Wymer Anna Webner, president of K9s at the Ville, throws the tennis ball for 4-month-old Getty to fetch in the Maddox courtyard.