There was a new student in the Tuesday afternoon principles of management class this fall. Meet Farrah, a Labrador and golden retriever mix and service dog in training. Farrah is one of two dogs in the University of Mary Washington’s chapter of Canine Companions for Independence started this fall and founded by UMW juniors Rebekah Selbrede and Abigail Hannell. Having grown up with dogs, both women were eager to put their love of animals toward a meaningful cause. After a year of planning, Selbrede and Hannell traveled to New York in June to pick up Dragon and Farrah. As service dogs in training, Dragon and Farrah will eventually be paired with people in need of help with a physical or hearing disability. Guiding pups to become service animals isn’t the same as having a pet. “It’s like having a child,” Selbrede said. “It’s a big responsibility to train these dogs.” Over the next year and a half, Dragon and Farrah will learn 30 basic commands, house training, and … [Read more...]