Puppies in Duke University study now being raised in Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Patrice Kapcio and 20-week-old Zina have a special bond, but they'll only be together for a little over a year.

Kapcio trains puppies to become assistance dogs. One of her pups was paired with Emma, a 7-year-old who uses a wheelchair.

“It makes her disability invisible to people really because they don’t look at her in her wheelchair anymore. They want to know about her dog and they talk to her,” Kapcio said.

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Zina is the sixth puppy Kapcio has trained. She usually gets them at 8 weeks old, but Zina has spent the last few weeks surrounded by people.

She and six other puppies were the first participants in a five-year study at Duke University.

“She had contact with more than 2,000 people,” Kapcio said. “They had high levels of contact daily.”

Researchers are testing if more socialization early in life helps their chance of becoming assistance dogs.

Kapcio said that on average only 50 percent of dogs that start training go on to be paired with people in need.

“They can get disqualified medically. They can get disqualified if they don’t have a work ethic. It’s kind of like a human; some are a little lazy,” she said.

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After up to two years of training, the puppies are paired with veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, people with physical disabilities -- anyone who needs the support.

Canine Companions for Independence covers 100 percent of the cost. Volunteers at their Jacksonville chapter have raised 130 puppies.

They’re gearing up for DogFest, their annual fundraiser.

It’s in March at Jax Beach, and Action News Jax's Chief Meteorologist Mike Buresh will be the master of ceremonies.

They need volunteers for the event and to help train puppies. Kapcio says it's no easy task.

“It’s day to day, every day,” Kapcio said. “I bring her to work here at UNF and work with her every day. The training has to be every day. You have to be consistent so that’s a lot of time and effort.”

If you're interested in becoming a volunteer puppy trainer, you can contact the Canine Companions Jacksonville chapter on their Facebook page.

Cox Media Group