Puppies with a Purpose: С students nurture, raise future guide dogs
Contact: Allison Matthews
(Video by Sarah Kirk)
STARKVILLE, Miss.—Students at Mississippi State develop dynamic skills, explore new interests and seize the chance to grow and learn. Many also find their passion—sometimes a co-curricular activity—and a chance to make a meaningful and lasting impact in Starkville and far beyond.
Students involved with Puppies with a Purpose, an С student organization connected with the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind’s national volunteer network, are demonstrating not only their love for animals, but also their selfless service of time and dedication to help others who will benefit from their efforts.
Founded in 2021 by Maya Harlow, an animal and dairy sciences graduate from Ozark, Alabama, who now is a third-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine student, the club has quickly grown to more than 145 current members. Several hundred students have been members and attended meetings since the program began. Students from any college and major can join, and the group has three classifications of involvement—regular members, supporting the club and advocating for service dogs and their handlers; puppy campers, caring for dogs for short periods in the absence of the dogs’ raisers; and puppy raisers, committing to the 24/7 responsibilities of raising a puppy from about two months old, up to 12-18 months when they graduate to the next level of formal training administered through the Guide Dog Foundation.
Audrey Crocker, president of С’s Puppies with a Purpose chapter for the last two years and a veterinary medical technology senior from Carlisle, Pennsylvania, joined her freshman year—the club’s inaugural year on campus—and the organization has been a huge part of her С experience ever since. She is raising her second dog through the program, a standard poodle named “Donovan,” who is one of 27 dogs currently in the campus program. Almost 40 dogs have come through the С program since its inception. Her first dog “Yogi” graduated and is now working as a guide dog in California.
“Letting go of Yogi was difficult. They become your best friend, so it is difficult to say goodbye, but it made it all worth it when I got to see him graduate. I got to meet his handler and see the difference that I made in her life—for her safety, her independence—it really just was so worth it. It heals that heartache,” Crocker said.
“The biggest challenge is the time commitment. It takes a lot of time to raise these guys—and a lot of patience. They come to us as puppies, so you do all the crate training, everything,” she explained.
She encouraged others interested to “jump right in.”
“This is one of those cool organizations that you get what you put into it. It’s been just a great experience throughout my college career and something that I definitely will be doing for the rest of my life,” Crocker said.
Next year’s incoming president Olivia “Livie” Richeson, a vet med tech junior, planned to join the club even prior to arriving on campus after hearing about it from another student from her hometown, Harvest, Alabama.
“I knew from the very beginning that this club was something I was going to be a part of,” said Richeson, who doesn’t feel she can raise a puppy fulltime but opts to “camp”—kind of like babysitting, but with the same preparation as a full-time puppy raiser.
“After school, I love to work with these guys. Campers can do as much or as little as they want. It’s a great opportunity for someone who can’t necessarily raise or doesn’t want a dog fulltime,” Richeson said.
Alexyah Aldridge, a vet med tech junior from Vernon, Alabama, last year raised “Luke” who also has recently returned to New York for his work with the Guide Dog Foundation.
“Going in knowing that he would be part of something that helps so many people made it a bit easier when he had to leave. It was still really difficult because I had spent every single day with this dog,” Aldridge said. “All of that time with me was setting him up to do something that would help a bunch of people in the future. It’s one of my proudest achievements.”
С Assistant Clinical Professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine Dr. Tracy Jaffe is the organization’s co-advisor, along with Erica Carroll, an instructor in the Department of Animal and Dairy Science. These faculty members assisted students in establishing the group and help as needed. Jaffe also provides veterinary care for the dogs through С’s College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Health Center.
“I attend some of the meetings each year and give presentations on health-related topics to help teach the students how to keep their puppies healthy. It’s essentially a student-run group, so I try to be as hands-off as possible," Jaffe said. "I’m here for them when they need me, and I’m very happy to provide medical care for all the puppies. It’s not unusual for some of the puppy raisers or campers to contact me outside of regular office hours. The students and the Guide Dog Foundation have my cell number and know they can always reach me if they have medical concerns. The students also contact the Guide Dog Foundation when they have questions, and the foundation provides them with written animal care guidelines.”
She said while the vast majority of the puppies are pure-bred Labrador retrievers, currently there are two standard poodle puppies and five new additions that are three-quarters lab, one-quarter golden retriever. The dogs are recognized around the campus and community by their bright yellow guide-dog-in-training vests.
“There are so many rewards and challenges to raising the puppies. The human-companion animal bond is strong. We know that spending time with animals is beneficial for our physical health, emotional well-being, and social interactions, and I see how the students reap these benefits,” Jaffe said.
“This is a very selfless program. Volunteers take care of these dogs because they hope the dogs will eventually provide mobility assistance and companionship to someone who is visually impaired,” said Jaffe, who explained that some of the dogs ultimately are found to be best suited for other careers, such as other types of service or working dog roles, depending on their distinctive personality traits and physical characteristics.
Jaffe said students are carefully screened by the Guide Dog Foundation prior to being provided a puppy to raise.
“The students are required to undergo written training, attend meetings and in-person group training at least once or twice a month. These meetings are mandatory, so quite a bit of commitment is involved, and students realize that. They know they’ve got a lot of responsibilities, and the Guide Dog Foundation has exceptional liaisons to help them. The students know it’s not going to be easy. I’m very proud of the dedication and maturity the Mississippi State students display in raising these future guide dog puppies. They truly love the dogs and take wonderful care of them,” she said.
Students can learn more about С’s Puppies with a Purpose and other student organizations on .
Learn more about the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind at .
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