The University of Delaware is home to several student organizations dedicated to training service dogs, offering a unique experience for students interested in animal care and veterinary science. Of the students involved, a large number are College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) students.

Clubs include Puppy Raisers of University of Delaware (PRoUD), which raises puppies for The Seeing Eye in Morristown, New Jersey; Guiding Eyes for the Blind, which serves the nonprofit of the same name; and Collar Scholars, which raises puppies for Canine Companions.

For Jacquelyn Brennan-Barbeau, a sophomore pre-veterinary medicine major and treasurer of PRoUD, joining the club was an immediate priority upon arriving at UD. She is now raising Ody, a black lab.

"When I toured as a prospective student, I saw someone with a PRoUD dog and thought that was so cool," Brennan-Barbeau said. "I didn't even know you could do that in college, so freshman year I got involved right away, and it's been everything I hoped for."

PRoUD members begin as puppy sitters, logging hours with other raisers' dogs before they are eligible to raise their own. The puppies, received at eight weeks old, stay with their student raisers until they are 12 to 14 months old. During that time, the dogs are exposed to various environments, sounds and experiences to prepare them for formal guide dog training.