A sophomore student at Southern Connecticut State University is giving back this holiday season in a unique way.
Ella Bernegger started Guiding Eyes Puppy Raising at SCSU to bring people together while addressing the demand for service dogs.
"There are visually impaired and blind people waiting for these dogs for years,” Bernegger said.
She said the inspiration came after her family dog Trent passed away.
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K9 Trent led a successful career in narcotics detection before he retired and when he passed away, she thought the club could serve as a sort of tribute to Trent.
“I recognize what an amazing opportunity this is and I think it could bring so many people together,” Bernegger said.
Bernegger has been training 10-month-old Justice since May.
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"Every two weeks, we go and we train with Guiding Eyes, with a class of people and other dogs and so we learn new skills each week," Bernegger said.
She said the club gives each person something different. Some people simply enjoy socializing with Justice and others are becoming certified in dog guiding.
“We do have some of our members who are consistently there every week and are looking towards becoming sitters and raisers for these dogs in the future. We have a small group of sitters now that are certified through the program," Bernegger said.
So I tell people, you know, take out of it what you want. If you just want to come and hang out with him, that's totally fine but we do have people who are interested in the program and looking to raise a dog of their own,” she continued.
Bernegger said this past year, the club’s main focus was fundraising and getting the word out.
The club currently has 150 student members, and Bernegger hopes it will continue to grow moving forward.
"If you could change a life, and it's something so simple as this and it's something you enjoy, you know why not,” Bernegger said.
