By Emily Andrade ’29
Most college students worry about exams and deadlines. But students in Fidos For Freedom worry about raising future service dogs that could one day assist people with disabilities.
The University of Maryland student-run club raises and trains service dogs for a Laurel-based Fidos For Freedom organization. The puppies eventually go on to support people with post-traumatic stress disorder, hearing loss or mobility challenges, said club president Jo Kellner, a senior majoring in English, politics, philosophy and economics.
“We are a big support for the parent organization. They do rely on us to be a source of puppy raisers,” Kellner said. “And obviously, you can’t have service dogs if you don’t do the puppy part.”
Kellner serves as the main point of contact between the club and its parent organization, coordinating the arrival of new puppies and ensuring members are properly trained.
“We’re basically laying the foundation for what is eventually going to be their specialized skills,” she said.
The club currently works with five puppies: Jackie, Hershey and Gem, all Black Labs; Pip, an Australian shepherd; and Tank, a yellow Lab, Kellner said. Members take on different roles, with “raisers” caring for the puppies full time and “sitters” stepping in when needed.
For Alyson Morse, a sophomore majoring in criminology, criminal justice and psychology, being a sitter offers a way to stay connected to animals while being away at school.
“I joined the club because I have a puppy at home, and I really missed hanging out with her during college,” Morse said. “And I wanted to find a way to be able to hang out with puppies.”
Sitters help raisers throughout the day by taking puppies to class, feeding them or simply keeping them company, Morse said. Raisers handle the daily responsibilities of training, feeding and maintaining strict routines.
“As a trainer, a lot of our responsibilities are just reinforcing and practicing a bunch of his commands,” said Nora Leavey, a senior majoring in hearing and speech sciences and a raiser for Fidos For Freedom.
There are also strict rules even for good boys and girls. The dogs cannot have human food, beg or jump on furniture. These habits could interfere with their future role as service animals, Morse said.
As the dogs grow, they move on to more organized training, Kellner said. After their time with Fidos, many are placed in a prison-based rehabilitation program working with inmates, where they continue developing skills in a structured environment before returning to the parent organization.
For Kellner, one of the most rewarding parts of the experience is watching both the dogs and the club grow.
“It’s just been really cool to see our little puppies grow up and see people be really involved in the organization and want to contribute and raise,” Kellner said.
If you are interested in joining, Fidos meets every Tuesday from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Susquehanna Hall, room 1117. Meetings are open to anyone interested in the club.