Pitt students help train service dogs through partnership with nonprofit

Some hardworking students at the University of Pittsburgh this year are being accompanied by service dogs in training through a partnership with a nonprofit organization.

Canine Companions said it trains service dogs to help people with disabilities free of charge. Right now, there are up to 200 members participating in Pitt's student organization assisting the nonprofit, but not all of them have a dog with them.

"It's so life-changing, especially for college students," said Kailey Vento, a Pitt senior who works with the dogs. "I think a lot of people are worried about the workload of raising and being in college at the same time. I am a bioengineering student. It is very grueling. But I make it work."

Volunteers raise the dogs for about 15 months before they return to Canine Companions for their next round of training. Meghan Johns, a junior studying psychology and neuroscience, said she finished with her first dog in August and is already preparing to say goodbye to her new charge. 

"Getting him, I'm feeling all of the emotions already even though he's only 12 weeks old," Johns said. 

The dogs are permitted to live in the dorms with their handlers.

"I'm so grateful I did it this way," said Vento. 

Vento said she's also getting ready to say farewell to her puppy. 

"I'm very excited to see him do something so much bigger than me, and just being a pet for me," Vento said. "I'm about to turn him in, in about a month, so I've been going through all the emotions right now. It's definitely very sad. I don't want to give him away, but he's just so wonderful and to do what he was meant to do. He's going to be so good at it."