SAN ANTONIO — North East ISD has made it halfway through their first week of school, and at James Madison High School, more than 3,000 teens are settling into their new routine.
And while the school semester settles in, a group of about 30 students are walking the halls on four paws.
At the center of the AgriLife building, a group of students are sitting in a circle, an adorable puppy at each of their sides.
The teens are getting ready for class at James Madison High School, and so are the four-pawed friends, also known as service dogs in training. One day, they could help someone who is blind or has low vision.
The teens who make up the Guide Dogs for the Blind Puppy Trainer Program at Madison are among the youngest volunteer groups for the international non-profit.
“My dad has a service dog…and just seeing how much she helps, when I got here, I was like, that's an amazing [program],” said Sierra Booker, one of the handlers.
Students are paired up with a golden retriever or lab.
“I cannot be more thankful for this program,” said Michelle Medina. “It's truly incredible to see a whole other aspect of like how other people have to live with these dogs and how much of a difference it makes.”
The teens provide food, shelter, training and treats while Guide Dogs for the Blind cover vet bills.
The handlers go over techniques for about nine months.
“She's doing really good,” said Madi Speciale about her current companion, Sorrel. “She's very different than my first dog but she's really smart. She does ‘let's go’ very well, that's her favorite thing to do.”
Once the dogs graduate from their tasks with the puppy trainers, they head off to formal training.
From there, the dogs are selected as guide dogs and matched up with a family, or dedicated breeders, to provide more puppies for the program.
The teens say day-to-day obstacles on a high school campus make it the perfect training ground for the dogs.
“We have 3000 plus kids here so they get the crazy hallways, the yelling in the hallway, there’s people running all the time,” said Hailey Hunt. “I think it's not only cool that I get to do this in high school but it's a good experience for the dogs.”
The puppy trainer program is a big responsibility and the handlers make the dogs their top priority, 24/7.
“During the school year, the student primarily has to balance normal life, schoolwork and having a puppy,” said Ember Reyes.
One of the hardest parts of the program is saying goodbye to their sidekicks, butt he students know their furry friends will change someone’s life.
“Seeing her guide somebody and be her eyes and her independence… it's just it's bigger than yourself,” said Brooke Johnson.
The teens say hearing their dogs’ success stories makes it all worth it.
“Now he's someone's freedom,” said Ana Kalea Ferrell. “I get weekly updates on him. I get weekly pictures. [His handler] tells me every week how grateful for the gift that I've given her. I didn't give it to her, Guide Dogs gave that to her. I just helped in the process.”