University students share bittersweet moment after handing dogs to new owners

By Michele Fiore

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    WAUKESHA, Wisconsin (WDJT) — A bittersweet day for Carroll University students majoring in animal behavior . They’ve been fostering dogs from a nearby shelter and today, on April 22, students handed over those dogs to their forever homes.

Drax is still available for adoption at the Humane Animal Welfare Society. He showed off the tricks he can do.

The program matched seven students to seven dogs, like Mika and Mary.

“So having someone at the end of the day who runs to the door to greet you is just amazing,” said Mary Fischer of Carroll University.

Carroll University allows dogs to live on campus with students in the program.

“And we train them through the program and get them prepared for their forever home,” said Fischer.

“It’s really the hands-on part of college that you always want to give them, said Dr. Amanda Lee, assistant professor of Human Animal Interaction at Carroll University.

A lot of work and a lot of love goes in to the training, with the progress updated on Facebook. While every dog has its day, this is graduation day for all seven. Six have already been adopted, like Lucky. His foster mom is happy for him.

“Lucky’s great. He has a ton of energy, still like a puppy. He loves fetch and getting butt scratches,” said Riley Burton, Carroll University student.

Lucky is living here with Jill Miorana.

“You know he came into the shelter for whatever reason, maybe was just a little unruly just a lot of energy and not much structure so 14-this program provided the framework for him to really develop a sound confident manner about himself,” said Miorana of Mukwonago.

“So the first semester they learn kind of training principles and the second semester they get to foster a dog and students really come to Carroll University for that program,” said Dr. Lee.

A win for students, for Haws, and for the future families of these incredible pups who can get to know the dogs in the program months before they finally bring them home.

As for Mika, she won’t have to walk alone. Her foster mom decided she couldn’t live without her.

“I’m attached to her. I love her and she’s a great dog and I want to give her her forever home,” said Fischer.

The program will be fostering eight dogs next year. You can watch their progress on Facebook starting in January, and consider if you’d like to adopt one of them.

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