Like many students, freshman Laura Grauer had to leave behind a special someone when she left home for college.

“I have a dog Riley at home, who is literally my best friend,” said Grauer. “He was just a mutt I got at a farm two years ago, and missing him motivated me to do something with animals here.”

Grauer wasted no time making Riley proud, spending her fall semester creating “Working So Animals Get Support” (WAGS). She has now begun recruiting members who will work to get dogs out of shelters and into homes.

WAGS, which will likely meet Mondays at 7:00 p.m. in the Campus Y, works with the Animal Protection Association (APA). Members of WAGS must undergo the training provided on campus by the APA that is required for handling the dogs at the shelter.

“We’re trying to make it more likely that they’re going to get adopted by making them more used to people,” said Grauer. “When you walk into an animal shelter looking to adopt a dog, you’re not going to want the one who has had no interaction with people and is either skittish or aggressive.”

Grauer understands that visiting the shelter may be difficult for some.

“This is not a no-kill shelter, and I think that’s going to be hard for people,” said Grauer. “That’s something [the APA] is going to have to talk to us about. You can get attached to these dogs.”

For those who prefer not to visit the shelter, WAGS offers another option.

“The people [for whom] it’s too emotional to think about the dogs they’re handling getting killed could get involved in bringing dogs that the APA is helping to get certified to nursing homes,” said Grauer.

When more than 40 students attended the first meeting, Grauer knew she was not alone as an animal-lover and was pleasantly surprised at who was willing to show a little puppy love.

“I think that people really do miss their animals from home,” said Grauer. “I was surprised at how many guys showed up at the meeting. I expected mostly girls to be the ones admitting to missing their dog at home and being sentimental about playing with puppies.”

Grauer found the Campus Y equally enthusiastic about her cause while planning it last semester.

“[The Campus Y] has been tremendous, and they were willing to give me financial backing and transportation,” said Grauer.

WAGS became the Campus Y’s newest organization after a unanimous vote from the executive counsel, according to Tiffany Newcom, program director for the Campus Y.

“I think it was unanimous, because [Grauer] was so passionate about it,” said Newcom. “We thought if a student is this passionate about a program, we needed to find out if there was a need for this.”

Sophomore Amanda Halper said she feels that the addition of WAGS will increase the variety of service opportunities on campus.

“I think it’s good that if someone has a desire to help animals, they can start a group for it,” said Halper. “I think it will give people who want to help animals the chance to get involved.”

According to Newcom, the group’s uniqueness might play a factor in its success.

“This is an untapped population,” said Newcom. “We’ve not really worked with animals before, and I think [WAGS] will really pull on the heartstrings of students, and they will see a need for it. I think this is such a unique opportunity for the Campus Y at this time.”

For Grauer, building an organization from scratch during her very first semester has been worth it.

“I wanted to get this underway right from the start,” said Grauer. “I knew that I wanted to make it grow and see it grow. You make time for the things you really feel passionately about. This is definitely something I’ll be willing to sacrifice some free time for.”

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