Parents and alumni met Dickinson’s four-legged students at Homecoming Weekend when the Dog House invited members and non-members to learn about their work with two service dogs on Saturday, Sept. 26 at their fourth Dogs and Donuts event.

“We want to educate both the campus community and parents about our club, and let people know that it exists,” said Dog Coordinator Alyssa Daly-LaBelle ’17

This year, the Dogs and Donuts event moved from its normal location in Dog House yard to Britton Plaza, where they had more space for visitors. Daly-LaBelle said new venue let them “show off the dogs” to the parents.

“My mom thinks it’s neat that Dog House chose to learn about service dogs,” said Emily Stutzman ’19 after visiting the Dog House tent with her mom. “I really like the idea of Dog House. It’s a nice way to get a stress-free break to play with dogs and also help people in the long run by training the service dogs.”

Stutzman also said that it is “a great way to meet other students who are interested in service and like dogs.”

Lauren Holtz ‘14 and Carley Zarzeka ’14 founded Dog House in 2012.  The club members work with the Susquehanna Service Dogs, an organization in Harrisburg, to train service dogs for people with disabilities.

The club currently has about 100 members who train the dogs, according to Daly-LaBelle.

“I have a dog back home… who I really miss, and I also like service. Dog House is a great way to combine both elements,” said Stutzman.

Daly-LaBelle said that the club would be getting a litter of puppies in mid-October this year, which they will train in addition to their two current dogs.